The Great Flatsby (A Review)

This was a film I had anticipated for months. The first trailer left me skeptical and completely displeased, but after viewing the second and third trailer, I decided to give it a chance. Once I purchased my ticket, it finally hit me that I was going to see The Great Gatsby- hoping it would live up to its name.

Within the first thirty minutes, there wasn’t much to do but cringe at the overly done and unrealistic CGI. There didn’t seem to be any effort in making it seem remotely real, and sometimes it was hard to tell if it was an animated film or not. I couldn’t help to giggle at its intolerable artificiality.

Let’s not forget about the atrocity that was the editing of shots. My eyes were being tortured by the visual chaos that ensued. While many argue that the overbearing cinematography was part of the visualization, it was more annoying than extravagant. It was distractions after distractions and took away from any chance of it being enjoyable.

You would think the soundtrack could possibly redeem the film as a whole and embody the Roaring Twenties vibe, perhaps even provide a contemporary interpretation of music from that time. Think again. Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Andre 3000 were some of the many artists that made it on to this soundtrack. That was a curveball in itself and saying that any of the songs had a jazz influence would be quite a stretch. 

Although this movie had its fault, the casting was executed almost perfectly. It seems that every character was portrayed and chosen with thoughtful consideration. At times Toby Maguire was trite and made the viewer feel uncomfortable, but he managed to capture the observant personality of Nick Carraway. Leonardo Dicaprio and Carey Mulligan brought magic to the audience with their wonderful performances. The dynamics between every character provided a sense of reality in even the most excessive scenes.

Despite your love or disdain for this film, there was no doubt that it brought a new sense appreciation for such an important and beautifully written work of literature. This was most definitely a true Baz Luhrmann film, but to call it a true interpretation of The Great Gatsby would be oversimplifying its many downfalls.  With that, I give you dedicated Gatsby fans a warning: this may be your picture perfect Gatsby or your worst nightmare.