Not a classic, but there is a classic in here

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2013)

A far better adaption than I expected of one of the most important American novels, remaining very loyal, whilst undergoing an exciting, vibrant update that only Baz Luhrmann can execute. The set design, the art, the soundtrack, used rather tastefully and in a way that brings us right into Gatsby's world, making it relevant for today, without being obtrusive; Luhrmann manages to turn it all up as loud as it will go, but it doesn't become annoying. His reverence for the source is clearly in tact and when he needs to be restrained, he shows he isn't just style with no substance. In fact, his handle on the material is so strong that he brings out the melancholy of Fitzgerald's contemplation on this time in America rather beautifully; it is only in retrospect we see how prophetic and accurate the author's tragic metaphor was. The story is apparently simple, but like the book, the themes are complex and important; this is certainly a love story, but the examination of the mythical American dream, politics, power and money, greed and excess, the emptiness of high society and the corruption that material obsession and wealth brought to a post-war America on the verge of financial ruin remain well stated and strangely relevant. The poetry of the book is not lost; it is in fact enhanced, and at the most important moments, with a cinematic eloquence that almost rivals the written word.
Yes, there are little things about it that don't work, there is a sense that Toby Maguire is not quite fitting, and it is a little too long, but this is a bold imagining with generally fantastic performances, notably from Joel Edgerton, who we barely recognize, and Carey Mulligan, who has the pleasure of delivering one of the most well known pieces of dialogue from the book and does so with a power that gives us goosebumps. Then, of course, the now ever dependable Leo, who nails exactly what Gatsby is on the page, and who has developed a talent for unexpected explosions to a level that few can currently reach.
Not a classic piece of cinema, perhaps, but certainly one in which we can recognise an American classic.