Entertaining Film; Not a Fan of the Novel

Rating: Null/10 (19 October 2013)

This is a movie I wouldn't have watched under my own initiative; my girlfriend wanted to see it. That being said I'm glad I did. I read the novel in high school and it bored me to tears; I also slumbered through the Robert Redford version many years ago. I never understood why the novel is considered such a classic and truth be told I still don't. However, this version held my attention and kept me interested for the entire running time.
Assuming everyone knows the story I will not rehash the plot. Toby Maguire is Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel and the narrator of the film as well. Carraway is a cipher; all of the pivotal moments in the story involve other characters while he merely recounts them. The central figure is the mysterious Jay Gatsby; a fabulously wealthy man who throws decadent parties and about whom nothing is known. The buildup to his first appearance is nicely handled and when Leonardo DiCaprio arrives about a half hour into the movie he is equal to the anticipation.
Unfortunately, the payoff does not match the buildup. The reason for everything Gatsby does is to rekindle his love affair with Daisy Buchanan, currently the wife of jackass Tom Buchanan. This is where the story falls apart for me and possibly in the translation from novel to film. In my mind Daisy should be a paragon among women: beautiful, smart, sexy, nurturing, and loving. In short a lady worthy of a man's undying devotion. While I understand this is also part of the tragedy of Jay Gatsby, i.e. loving an undeserving woman, Daisy does not fulfill any of these qualities. She seems weak and easily manipulated by the two strong men in her life: Gatsby and Tom. In short I just don't see why Gatsby would devote all his energy to winning her over. One can have sympathy for her because her husband is a bastard but she can't seem to be her own person.
This brings me back to the character of Gatsby. To do everything for the love of a woman appeals to the romantic in me but to do it for this woman seems plain stupid. For someone as clever and driven as Gatsby is he seems really delusional about his chances with Daisy. Not only does he want to rewrite history with her but Daisy needs to come to him on his specific terms. Winning her is not enough but must be done within the elaborate fantasy world he has created. One can feel sorry for him because even if you have not read the book you can see where the story is headed. The crucial scene where Gatsby announces his plans for Daisy in front of Tom is heart-rendering. Everyone knows Daisy is not going to leave Tom except for Gatsby and he refuses to accept this even after he is brutally exposed as a fraud by Tom. Daisy becomes an emotional wreck, commits a horrible crime for which Gatsby takes the blame, and then deserts him completely. Unable or unwilling to accept the truth, Gatsby foolishly clings to his fantasy up to his dying breath.
Leonardo DiCaprio is marvelous as Gatsby. He is everything the character should be: dashing, handsome, mysterious, curiously naive, boyish, and noble. I read a review that joked how a good drinking game could be made out of how many times he says 'Old Sport." I doubt many would make it past the 60 minute mark before calling an ambulance since he punctuates nearly every sentence with this phrase. The sequence that really cracked me up was the staged first meeting with Daisy. Gatsby is as nervous as a schoolboy; blushing, stammering, and charmingly awkward. But come on Dude, have you looked in the mirror recently? You're Leonardo DiCaprio for God's sake!! All kidding aside I couldn't stand him as that twerp in Titanic but he has really impressed me over the years not only as an actor but as a charismatic movie star.
The rest of the cast is a notch below but still effective. Toby Maguire is an excellent narrator and blends into the woodwork during the most pivotal scenes which is not an insult. Carey Mulligan does as well as anyone could in a role that is probably impossible to play. Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan does a fine job as a character that could have easily devolved into the standard bad guy part. Tom is a really despicable person to be sure but at least he knows it; he's honest about being a crud and doesn't seem to suffer any pangs about it. To him Gatsby is worse because he is a phony.
The look of the film is clearly the selling point. The visuals are beautiful, the colors vivid, and the CGI recreation of New York in the Roaring '20s looks fantastic. The party scenes give a real sense of how decadent the times were before the stock market crash ended it all. The use of modern musical updates to some classic songs works very well and breathes fresh air into what could have been a very stale retelling. And I love how the shot of Gatsby's corpse floating in the pool is directly lifted from 'Sunset Boulevard.'
While the story itself does not really appeal to me this version of The Great Gatsby was worth the investment. I can appreciate what the narrative is trying to convey while quibbling with some of the execution. The visuals alone make it worth a look but the performance of DiCaprio should not be missed by anyone who appreciates the actor and what star power is all about.