The great, slightly changed, Gatsby !!

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2013)

I believed in this movie from the very first moment I saw the trailer and was, therefore, very surprised to see all the negative reviews it received upon its release. Today that I have seen it, I believe that all the points people have been criticizing all this time, are actually the strong points of the movie.
It is obvious that it is a super- production with much emphasis on the audiovisual extravaganza and many externalities. But that is not a bad thing. The movie exposes different elements than the novel, while all the while staying fairly true to its source material, highlighting Fitzgerald's' subtle writing style and presenting the "madness" of the Jazz Age. As for the music, it seems strange indeed to listen to Jay-Z in a period film, but here, the way Baz Luhrmann incorporates it, it actually works, or it worked for me at least!
As it has been pointed out in other reviews here, the direction is great, the cinematography flawless and the actors all do a splendid job in bringing the characters to life. Especially Leonardo Di Caprio, who proves once more he is a quality actor and deserves recognition. (The Oscars committee seems very reluctant when it comes to all things Baz Luhrmann, as they proved in Moulin Rouge, but I do hope Di Caprio receives a nomination).
All in all I believe that this is a masterfully filmed movie, magical in its presentation and thoroughly entertaining if one approaches it in its entity. Anyhow, I think Baz Luhrmann deserves to be applauded for taking on such a challenging mission as transferring Fitzgerald on screen. He does what he likes, what he knows best, and he does it WELL!!