With this being the first time I was familiar with this material, I liked this film version of The Great Gatsby

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2013)

I had previously enjoyed Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge so when I watched his version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, I wasn't surprised at his modern take on it despite being mostly true to the time period it's set in. Leonardo DiCaprio shines as the title character who made himself become rich through not very legal means though has the charms to hide that part of himself to those swayed by his demeanor. Tobey Maguire still has the boyish look to pass himself as the green witness to the party atmosphere that abounds around Jay Gatsby's mansion. And Carey Mulligan just oozes beauty and charm as the flighty Daisy. When I saw the original trailer for this movie, the hip-hop music was distracting knowing about the '20s jazz age setting but it makes sense here in conveying the innovative and provocative way it ushered in a new kind of music to a mass audience. With this being the first time I was encountering this source material, I very much enjoyed this version of The Great Gatbsy.