A new Gatsby, but still a classic-Go See

Rating: 5/10 (9 May 2013)

F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale is brought back to life for a new generation of moviegoers.
Leonardo DiCaprio is suave, charming and marvelous as the title character. Having played flawed characters in the past such as Howard Hughes (The Aviator, Academy Award nomination), Teddy Daniels (Shutter Island)and Dom Cobb (Inception), DiCaprio brings his own unique style to the mysterious Gatsby that surely should garner him the Oscar he has been denied twice.
Tobey Maguire of "Spider Man" fame takes the mantel of Nick Carraway, the narrator of the tale. Maguire's performance is done with care as he approaches the role with a haunted feel as he relates the story of how he came to know Gatsby in a sanitarium approximately seven years after the events of the novel. A clever device though by the filmmakers.
The film is shot marvelously as it opens with a shot of Maguire as he looks out the sanitarium window and soon melts into the story's main locale of Long Island, NY. The weaving of the memories and the present time mesh well as Maguire's narration (following the novel's original dialogue with few changes in portions) carries the viewer from each point. Another clever device are the images of the novel's words appear in silhouette as Maguire writes and speaks.
If you really enjoy the classic novel, go see this film and be mesmerized!