Movies: The Great Gatsby

Score:  **** out of ***** (A-)

Long Story Short:  The Great Gatsby returns to cinema, with big-name actors and a stylish director.  Although slightly long, this version is very enjoyable and well-done, at least for those like me who've read the book but don't remember it in detail.  DiCaprio shines as Gatsby, and Maguire, Mulligan and Edgerton round out a strong cast.  Add interesting visual and musical atmosphere, and this is an adaptation of a classic worth seeing.


Week two of summer movie season saw the release of a non-action/comedy blockbuster:  another film adaptation of The Great Gatsby.  I like having a change of pace like this (see also: 2012's Hope Springs), as a variety of genres helps to keep each of them fresher by having less direct competition.  I read Gatsby, as 99% of the U.S. population does, in high school.  While I didn't remember many of the plot details, I remembered having enjoyed the novel more than most other assigned readings.  Although a mediocre score on Rotten Tomatoes made me hesitant to see it in the theater, a personal recommendation convinced me to give it a try.  This version of The Great Gatsby was directed by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan.

I did not go back and check to see how closely Gatsby follows the source material, but I'll provide the usual brief plot overview for those who haven't read it/have memory like mine.  The story follows Nick Carraway (Maguire), a young man who moves to New York City in the 1920s to join the unprecedented craze going on there (part of the "Roaring '20s").  He lives in a modest home amidst immensely wealthy neighbors:  next to him is the mysterious Jay Gatsby ("new" money), and across the bay are the Buchanons ("old" money), Tom and Daisy.  Although Nick is low on the business totem, he is Daisy's cousin and he soon joins the Buchanon's wild party scene.

Nick also checks out a party next door, at mysterious Gatsby's.  The reclusive man reveals himself to Nick, a man who can get him what all his wealth has been unable to:  get Daisy's personal attention. Nick can only watch, however, as his wealthy companions are dragged down by the very world that built them up in the first place.

The Great Gatsby cast is well-chosen, and the leads live up to the expectations of their roles.  Leonardo DiCaprio is a particularly good choice as Gatsby.  He is able to portray a man who has become very comfortable with his wealth and power, and yet socially uncomfortable, particularly with those closest to him.  He inspires sympathy, yet his selfish and ruthless sides show themselves both subtly and, at times, quite dramatically.  Toby Maguire does a great job as Nick, too.  Toby's youthful appearance helps to convey his character's naiveté, but his acting also does the trick.  He plays a nice, quiet guy, one who is a pawn and then sorrowful witness to events.  Both Buchanons are entertaining to watch, too.  Daisy is more of a passive character than an active one, but when given the chance, Mulligan depicts the "object of obsession" as an imperfect, deceptively complex woman.  Joel Edgerton as Tom is even better, portraying a stiff, aloof aristocrat early, then showing brutal cunning as his part grows larger toward the end.

The Great Gatsby is an entertaining drama, one that appeals visually, mentally and emotionally (apologies in advance for misinterpreting the themes of this literary classic).  Although I'm unfamiliar with the director, apparently he has a flair for extravagant visuals, and this film reflects that tendency.  Luhrmann goes all out with the party scenes, effectively conveying the carefree attitudes of the characters - although Nick, the eyes of the story, is hesitant at first.  Luhrmann is somehow able to transition from this into one of the most effective - and hilarious - scenes, when Nick introduces Gatsby to Daisy.  The positive tone carries on through much of the middle act, before the dream starts to come to a halt.  The perfect ending (for Gatsby, at least) seems so close - and the cast makes the reversal seem simultaneously shocking and predictable.  The fall from there is easy to foresee, but no less powerful as it happens.  A final aspect is the music:  although I've heard many complaints about it, I didn't mind the infusion of modern styles.  They still have plenty of period music, too, and to me the hip-hop was a nice way to place this adaptation in time without affecting the story itself.

***

I really don't understand why this adaptation of The Great Gatsby is getting such middling reviews from the nation's critics.  Although I should note, again, that I don't remember the novel itself in any detail, nor do I consider myself a literary critic in any way, shape or form.  But taken by itself, as a film, I think it's very good; not perfect, but one enjoyable in several different ways.  The cast, obviously such an important aspect of a character-driven film, is engaging, effective and entertaining.  The film has great style, especially in the party scenes used to exemplify the period, but it doesn't get in the way of the characters and story moving forward.  And the story is a good one to revisit in today's society - though the film wisely does not try any kind of overt messaging.  My biggest gripe is with some of the pacing.  At the beginning, the editing is a bit cluttered, and they try to squeeze in a little too much; at the end, it's the opposite, several scenes are dragged out a little too long.  So I recommend you give this one a try:  it's certainly a nice change of pace at the theater this time of year, but it would be just fine if you wait to see it at home, too.