It is as bad as some says

Rating: 1/10 (24 April 2016)

I did not read the novel, nor saw the 1974 movie (or rather, I forgot about it, because I found it very boring). Also, I liked a lot both "Strictly Ballroom" and "Romeo+Juliet", so I was definitely not awed by the novel or prejudiced against the director.
Unfortunately, my open-minded approach did not help. This movie is a mighty mess, for two basic reasons that have nothing do with the source material or Luhrmann notorious bombastic style. These reasons are: awful acting and lack of chemistry, and they make the whole story collapse.
Maguire is awful. I never noticed what a bad actor he is until I saw him playing Carraway. All he does is stare with his beady eyes and make grimaces. Being in almost every scene, he positively destroyed the movie.
Di Caprio e Mulligan have zero chemistry. Impossible to believe in any passionate feeling between these two.
Besides, spoiled, coward and selfish Daisy Buchanan is one of the most repulsive fictional characters. It was weird to see two men fighting for the affection of such an obnoxious woman, whose only saving grace is a pretty face. Not unusual, but I just could not buy into the "tragedy" of mystery man Gatsby pining for shallow Daisy.I wanted to tell him to get a grip and find a better woman.
Then comes the horrid music, the overblown party scenes and materialism trumping "feelings" in every scene (what was that throwing shirts at Daisy? Was Gatsby employed by a luxury garment store?).
If I have to save something, I'd go for the Lana Del Rey song and the final minute of the movie, both because I liked the typing on screen and because it brought this mess to a much awaited closure. "So we beat on, boats against the current..." (I did my research ....)