The Great Gatsby

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

OMG this movies has the Gravity trailer in 3D attached! YES! Reason enough to see it.

As for the film itself, well, it's a Baz Luhrmann version of Gatsby, which funnily enough was exactly like what it sounds. Somehow it was both over and underwhelming at the same time.

I don't like the actual story that much, I find it quite distancing and I felt the same here. I've never read the book but from what I understand, the appeal is the beautiful prose and the wafer thin story is just a means to hold theme together. They hamfistedly try to cram in as much of that prose as possible and it just kills the film for me. So much metaphor and little regard to actual substance, which makes it very hard for me to care about anyone in the story.  But the actors try gosh darn it, they do. Varying degrees of success.

Once again Luhrmann starts his film off with a bang. A frenzy of editing and sound, I don't think there was a point in the first half where there weren't at least 2 or 3 competing songs playing in the background at all times. But as usual he always sets the audience up to hold on to their seats for a wild ride and then dies halfway through as the film limps to a close. Strictly Ballroom is the only film of his where I enjoy the latter half as much as the first, he just never lives up to the promise of his openings.

It's visually very nice, very stylised, as to be expected. and the 3D is great. Everything looks kind of fake, green screened or cg but it's so consistent that it just seems like part of the world that is created. Baz is never aiming for realism.

It's a tricky one, I haven't quite made up my mind about it. I certainly didn't love it but I don't hate it either.