Bill I’s Review – 2.5 out of 5
I almost gave this a slightly better rating, but in retrospect, there’s not much to rave about in this film. It was pleasant to watch, and the story is lifted carefully from the book, but at no point did I get enthralled, surprised, or emotionally invested in the characters. Leo DiCaprio is excellent, Toby McGuire is serviceable, and Carey Mulligan is perfect as Daisy Buchanon. This might have been better as a made for TV movie of the week. The gangster side story was cliche’d, as was the speakeasy and party scenes. Elizabeth Debicki caught my eye as Nick Carraway’s love interest:
Bill C’s Review – 2.5 out of 5
I read this book a very long time ago so I don’t really remember it. The most interesting aspect of this version of The Great Gatsby is the presentation, and not necessarily the story itself. The movie is directed by Baz Luhrman who is best known for the stye and showmanship that he brings to his films His best known movie was Moulin Rouge which also had really interesting-looking sets and great use of music.
I agree with Bill that DiCaprio and Mulligan were excellent, although none of the characters were really likeable. Overall this was an OK movie. If you are really into the packaging, you might like this more than we did.
I loved the visual style of the movie so I was willing to give the movie some slack. But this makes me want to see the 1974 version of the film with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow again. I suspect I will like that earlier version better…