Not perfect, but who cares?

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2008)

I saw a screening of it in Portland last Thursday and was blown away. It's definitely not perfect and has its flaws, unfortunately. It had the potential to be one of the greatest films of all time, and even with its flaws I still feel that it is one of my personal favorite films I've seen in my life. There are spurts in the film when its absolutely mesmerizing, a really unique film experience that is unlike anything you've ever seen. I wish the ending had been stronger, with everything that led up to it I was hoping to have a Shawshank Redemption type ending, but it never came. There were a few other things scattered throughout the film that need not have been there or were a bit cliché. So all in all it wasn't perfect, but in the end and after a few days since seeing it I realized that I didn't care about the small problems, and that it's without doubt one of the best films I've ever seen. With its scope and scale, a project this inspired is nearly impossible to be entirely perfect with all the little details. The vision of it is unrivaled. The cinematography and score are heavenly, and the acting is beyond superb. When you think of the film as a whole, the story, the vision, you can't help but appreciate what you've just witnessed and the people that were involved to dream up such a beautiful piece of art, including F. Scott Fitzgerald. So see the film, let it flow, and enjoy the ride.