Tempts me to give the book another chance

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2017)

I put off watching this movie for a long time. The flashy yet dull Moulin Rouge toned down my early enthusiasm for Baz Luhrmann, and the descriptions I heard from friends suggested this might be more substanceless flash. Many of my friends are also 1920s aficionados who complained about the music.
But when I finally watched the movie, I really, really liked it.
The movie is quite flashy, especially in the early parts, but it's not substanceless flash. Gatsby is in large part about ostentatious, unthinking wealth, and the flashy camera-work and frenetic cutting and R&B soundtrack all emphasize that this isn't a period piece about attitudes of the 20s but rather is about wealth and the desire for wealth that permeates our culture. The flashiness is also very well done, and the film is often visually stunning, whether it's showing a crazy party, a gorgeous vista, or a gritty slum.
The movie is also notable for its low-key but insistent underscoring of racism. Black people are continually seen in the background as servants and entertainers while the white folks' dramas play out. It's nice to see a movie about rich people that offers that sort of context.
The casting is interesting, in that I felt unsure about a lot of it at first but warmed up to pretty much everyone. None of this was based on the book, which I barely recall, but simply on my impression of what each character should be.
The one character who seemed perfect from the beginning was Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan. He felt exactly right for the part. Tobey Macguire seemed odd and out of keeping with his world, but I eventually thought that was appropriate. Carey Mulligan seemed a bit less likable than I would have expected, but it made perfect sense as the movie progressed. The casting only felt odd at first because I didn't really know who these people were or understand the complexity of the story.
Leonardo DiCaprio is the perfect example of someone who seemed slightly off in a way that turned out to be perfect. There was an odd mix of charm and falseness to him when he first appeared, but it turns out that's pretty much exactly what the part needs. And DiCaprio does a wonderful job of showing you what's going on under the facade, most notably in the lead-up to tea at Nick's, where he is funny and vulnerable.
I read The Great Gatsby a million years ago - I was probably in high school - and I was really underwhelmed, unable to see why it was considered a classic. But the movie, which pulls a lot of great lines from the book, makes me think I should really re-read it. And I think any movie that makes viewers curious about the book is worthwhile.
The one thing I didn't care for at all was the framing scenes involving a psychiatrist and the writing of a book, which for me felt extraneous and slightly distracting.
I wasn't expecting to like this movie. My girlfriend and I began by saying, well, if it's awful we can just stop. But we were both pleasantly surprised by what an excellent movie it turned out to be.