The Best Gatsby

Rating: 7/10 (13 May 2013)

This movie met every expectation I had, both good and bad.
The director Baz Luhrmann did just what I expected him too, and that was ruin the serenity and calm that I felt was part of the essence of the book. He sped up scenes and shot from overhead, diving into angles that weren't coherent with what the story was trying to tell. The beginning was whimsical, which worked, but way too over the top with the scenes flashing all to quickly before your eyes. Luckily for him the chemistry between Dicaprio and Mulligan was sizzling and sultry. You really felt their earnest desire to just see each other, then to just lightly touch the other's hand, and their desire just built from there, so much so that it distracted you from the fast past ardor that Lurhmann loves so much. When they get on screen together you feel as if time has stopped and they are living in a frozen world together with no one else to care about.
Before Daisy and Gatsby actually meet though, the movie's best character is Jordan. The actress Elizabeth Debicki gives Jordan this captivating essence, and you find yourself drawn to her just the same as Nick Carraway is. The casting was fantastic, never will this movie be better casted, as each actor fully understood just what went through their character's head and heart. Dicaprio is by far the best Gatsby I've seen, and the same goes for Mulligan with Daisy. Every actor makes you feel their character's distress and sorrow at least once each as this story unfolds. Not one character, from the naive Nick Carraway to the headstrong Myrtle, escapes your heart when you think of all that they wanted and have been through.
The script was wonderfully written. There wasn't a cheesy line in all of the movie, it was all very romantic without over playing it. The actors conveyed emotion more with their eyes rather than with their words. The wardrobe was also breath-taking. I say go see it, whether you read the book or not; You will be impressed with how well the story is relayed. 7.6/10