Baz
Luhrmann is the cinematic lord of gaudy brilliance. And while gaudy might be
considered a negative adjective, in this case it’s a celebration of melodrama
and music and razzle dazzle spectacle. When you watch a film by Luhrmann, it’s
clearly a Luhrmann production. Here he adapts F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous
novel about a young WWI vet and college grad who becomes friends with a
mysterious millionaire neighbor. I was never a fan of the novel but Luhrmann is
the artist to make such a story work. Set during the Roaring Twenties, he
clearly loves to juxtapose a romanticize time period with our current time. I
really loved the look and feel of this movie and Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey
Maguire and Carey Mulligan give strong performances. Their chemistry is
electric on screen. The film’s only flaw is the pacing feels off. I think the
issue is that there’s no real suspense. It starts off with lots of mystery but
once we find out who Jay Gatsby is the drama’s purpose falters. This is a
subtle error and doesn’t spoil the tragic beauty of the movie’s ending. Grade:
A-
Spoilers:
Daisy is a bitch and Mulligan portrays her with great emotional honesty. But
she’s still a bitch.
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