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Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 23min
*There is no stinger after the credits
Video Release: September 2013
A little honesty to start us off. I 'read' this book in my honors English class in high school. Meaning that I skimmed it, read the Cliff and Spark notes, and watched parts of the Robert Redford 1974 movie. I don't remember a thing about the story, but I do remember getting a great grade on the paper I had to write. Bullshit with confidence was our motto in that class. I tell you this to explain that I had no expectations for the movie--not for the characters or the story itself. I was excited that Baz Luhrmann wrote and directed the movie because Australia is one of my favorite movies. Thought I’d say Romeo + Juliet or Moulin Rouge? I really like Australia due to the fact that it is beautiful without being glitzy (like Moulin Rouge) and romantic without being mushy (like Romeo + Juliet). However, The Great Gatsby is definitely too far on the glitzy, mushy side for me.
I have mentioned my dislike for the overuse of computer graphics before, so I won't get on my soap box for this one--I will simply say that the first 15 minutes of the film had so much unnecessary CGI that I found it distracting. I found myself thinking, "This is silly. They didn't have to do that." The rest of the movie is stunningly beautiful. The party scenes are so bright and lively and even the still shots of Carey and Leo are gorgeous. I also kept thinking when Gatsby wasn't wearing a suit jacket, he looked a little too much like Jack. I kept expecting him to drift off into the ocean. The overall plot is interesting, but I felt like there was something missing from Daisy's point of view. In this movie, I couldn't like her. Who does she love? Who will she choose? Why will she choose him? Regardless of how the story ends, these questions are still not answered. It makes it feel as if Gatsby is all alone throughout the story because you never get what’s going on in her mind, whatever that may be.
I am on the fence of whether or not to recommend a theatrical viewing for this movie. I don't feel as though the story warrants a $9-$11 ticket, but the music and party scenes make a great case for it. I would say that if you enjoyed Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, and you don’t have a big screen TV at home, you will probably really appreciate seeing this movie in the theater. However, if you do have a 42” HDTV at home, just wait to rent the Blu Ray.
RottenTomatoes: 50% My Rating: 2.75/5
A little honesty to start us off. I 'read' this book in my honors English class in high school. Meaning that I skimmed it, read the Cliff and Spark notes, and watched parts of the Robert Redford 1974 movie. I don't remember a thing about the story, but I do remember getting a great grade on the paper I had to write. Bullshit with confidence was our motto in that class. I tell you this to explain that I had no expectations for the movie--not for the characters or the story itself. I was excited that Baz Luhrmann wrote and directed the movie because Australia is one of my favorite movies. Thought I’d say Romeo + Juliet or Moulin Rouge? I really like Australia due to the fact that it is beautiful without being glitzy (like Moulin Rouge) and romantic without being mushy (like Romeo + Juliet). However, The Great Gatsby is definitely too far on the glitzy, mushy side for me.  |
| Doesn't he look like Jack? And it's not because it's Leo, people. I never thought of Jack during The Departed, Inception, or certainly Django Unchained. |
I am on the fence of whether or not to recommend a theatrical viewing for this movie. I don't feel as though the story warrants a $9-$11 ticket, but the music and party scenes make a great case for it. I would say that if you enjoyed Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, and you don’t have a big screen TV at home, you will probably really appreciate seeing this movie in the theater. However, if you do have a 42” HDTV at home, just wait to rent the Blu Ray.
Peer Panel
Chelsea: "It was good. I really loved the party scenes, and the music was great. It is so cool to watch a movie set in the 20s and then hear a Jay Z song. The second half of the movie was really long, though. Especially after the first half went so fast with all the parties."