Great Gatsby Fails to Mesh Modern and Classic

Rating: 4/10 (20 May 2013)

What a colossal failure The Great Gatsby was. All the lines were delivered earnestly by the actors, but with writing that bad, even Leo couldn't turn crap into diamonds. And Toby McGuire is probably the worst actor who's ever lived. They cast him wrong, wrong, wrong. The epic drama that was unfolding between Gatsby, Daisy and Buchanan felt for the audience, as seen from the correct position of Carraway, alien, as expected, but so alien as to be jarring and uninviting. Felt from the awkward, dorky shoes of McGuire, the heart of the story is kept at an arm's length, failing to allow the audience to become immersed within the plot. The often detectable CGI was distracting, as was the repeating over-use of text and montages. The artistic feel of the movie shifts uncomfortably back and forth, as if it can't decide if it wants to be a very progressive and modern experience or a classic no-frills character- driven, acting-on-set drama. The same goes for the music, which switches between modern genres that catch you off-guard and end up liking, and more traditional orchestration. There was so much promise for one of the most revered works of American literature which was just asking for movie greatness, but this version doesn't make it off the runway, failing to pair the modern style with more traditional cinema. And as a kicker, the fantastic soundtrack featured in many previews was completely downplayed, never taking advantage of the great tracks by Del Rey and Welch.