Classic novel retold... and it works

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 2014)

Having finally got round to reading 'The Great Gatsby' (and enjoying it immensely) I was looking forward to seeing this most recent film adaptation. And I'm glad I did.
There are problems with it, my main one being the choice to cast Tobey Maguire as the narrator (or to cast Tobey Maguire at all... in anything) but even that I got over after about half an hour when it became clear he wasn't going to take up too much screen time.
What makes the original novella truly stand out is the beauty of the language used and the construction of truly perceptive, insightful imagery regarding human nature, and I think that is captured well for the most part. Granted, you do have to sit through the typical Baz Luhrmann epileptic colour schemes and 2 second shots but this, like the Maguire problem, also wears off after the first act, once Gatsby and the context are established and it slows down to explore the characters.
Leonardo Di Caprio and Carey Mulligan (fairly obvious age gap aside) do a great job as the romantic leads. In fact the parts are played so well I started reconsidering some of the evaluations I had made of the characters whilst reading the novel, which is pretty impressive and unusual for a movie adaptation.
So it's a strong 8. At times style over substance, and you have to suffer through some Tobey Maguire, but otherwise a very well measured interpretation of F Scott Fitzgerald's classic.