The Great Gatsby Wasn't as Great as I'd Hoped

I wonder if F. Scott Fitzgerald would have enjoyed Baz Luhrmann's rendition of his novel. With its CGI letters falling from the sky and flashy colors it seemed a bit unrealistic and forced, the theme of materialism and greed pushed in your face. The movie had a strange feel to it as almost half of it looked fake. The pan and zoom shots flying over the fake lake to reveal the CGI homes of Gatsby and Tom were followed by the half CGI home of Nick. And there were several shots of things either falling from or being projected into the sky which took away some of the seriousness of the film. The overly dramatic voice overs given by Nick were laughable, as were the many desperate gazes of Gatsby.

The casting was alright however it wasn't what I pictured the characters look like. Leo is good as Gatsby but I didn't love Cary Mulligan as Daisy. I think I pictured the two as a younger couple, as their actions as well as the actions of their fellow characters seemed a bit childish. Gatsby cannot handle that he didn't get what he wanted, Daisy is happy stringing both Gatsby and her husband along, Tom is cheating, and Nick is just always awkwardly there. It seemed like a cheesy high school soap opera complete with Project X style parties and driving from Fast and Furious.

Although I didn't love most of the film, the parts I liked were the parties at Gatsby's house. The parties seemed to take on a dream like quality as there is no way they could ever be reality. I liked the modern music in the film a lot. "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey seemed a bit over played but it played into the theme of the film well. "Bang Bang" by will.i.am was a perfect fit and I also liked Emeli Sande's version of "Crazy in Love". I thought the music was a success although most people disagree and think it had no place in a film set in the 20s.

All in all the film was alright, not my favorite but not the worst film I've ever seen. There were a few awkward moments I wish were less...awkward like when Daisy is throwing clothes to Gatsby and Nick is, of course, intruding in the scene. There were also moments I wish were less dramatic such as the scene where Myrtle is hit by the car and goes flying in mid air for about three long minuets. However I can't hate of Luhrmann because he created a film that brought to life what he thought Gatsby was and everyone has their own take on the novel.