A noteworthy film, has a great design and cast but the second half lacks the energy of the first

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2013)

In the Roaring Twenties, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), a Yale graduate and a Midwesterner, decides to move to New York City and learn the bond business. Not being a man of enormous means, despite springing from a fine family, he considers himself lucky to rent a cottage on the West Egg of Long Island. His second cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and her extremely wealthy husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton) live across the bay on the more fashionable East Egg. Almost at once, Nick discovers that in the gargantuan mansion that is next door to his little abode, is a mysterious gentleman, Mr. Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). In fact, Nick hears the enormous summer parties from his windows before he actually meets the man himself. When Mr. Carroway has lunch with the Buchanans, a fellow meal guest, Jordan Baker, is intrigued by Nick's residence and tells him she went to one of Mr. Gatsby's parties. Daisy, oddly, perks up her ears at the name as well. But, before Nick receives his invitation to the next affair, other happenings occur. It is revealed that Tom has a mistress in the Land of Ashes, an industrial area that separates the Eggs from Manhattan. Her name is Myrtle Wilson(Isla Fisher) and she steals away one afternoon to party with Tom, Nick and assorted others in the cheap apartment Tom rents for her downtown. Garage owner Mr. Wilson, the husband, is too trusting and work weary to figure out the schemes. But, back on WE, Nick accepts his neighbor's hospitality and is floored by the party's opulence, both in scale and entertainment. The bondsman turns around and runs smack into Gatsby. They hit it off, with the tycoon revealing some of his background to Nick. All is for a purpose is Gatsby's mind, for he once knew Daisy, as a former suitor, and he wants Nick to invite his cousin to "tea" so they can meet again. In Gatsby's heart, the romance has never died but the war and Jay's former poverty came between them. Nick agrees to the rendez-vous. Once the former lovers meet, however, they ignite a chain of events that end in tragedy. Beyond that, just what is the secret behind Mr. Gatsby's enormous moneybags? Most folks who read this review will probably know the book and will have sought out other takes on Baz Luhrman's new film. This critic believes it to be a fine film and an innovative production but, alas, not without a flaw. More of that soon. First, the production itself is so bursting with style, gorgeous art direction, vibrant music, and glittering costumes that it is a pleasure to behold. Second, the cast is terrific, with DiCaptrio fulfilling the title character with a wonderful performance. Mulligan, Maguire, Fisher, Edgerton, and all of the others offer great support. Then, too, the script is most faithful to the original work, with once major exception, but it spouts Fitzgerald's own words most of the time, a big asset for purists. Especially true are F. Scott's subtle depiction of wealth, family heritage, and the dreams of those who, lacking both, want to get there. The only flaw, my view, is that the plentiful energy of the first half vanishes in the second, as the pace gets slower and slower. As a result, the film runs a bit too long and lacks the finishing impact it should have. Nevertheless, this spanking new interpretation of the "Great American Novel" has riches to behold and enjoy.