Walks a fine line between a musical and a movie

Rating: 7/10 (21 September 2013)

Overall I enjoyed this movie for it's spectacular cinematography. Having read the Great Gatsby and enjoyed it for it's intelligent insight into the "human condition", I was pleasantly surprised that for the most part the movie delivered this in a visually stunning package.
At times the development of the storyline, the imagery and the music all combined in such a way that you could be forgiven for thinking that you were for just a few seconds watching a musical. Often these moments caught you by surprise and distracted you from the key messages that were being conveyed.
Leonardo DiCaprio is completely credible as Gatsby and drives the movie from start to finish. The rest of the cast has good performances, but the gap between them and DiCaprio is clear.
I would have given this movie a higher score if it didn't live so dangerously close to becoming a musical, and if the rest of the cast had closed the gap to DiCaprio's performance.
Worthwhile spending your time and your money watching this movie.