actually, it's pretty good

Rating: 9/10 (17 May 2013)

I never liked the book or the other Gatsby films I've seen, and after all the negative reviews I thought I wouldn't enjoy this movie.
But I did. The cinematography, elaborate visuals, set design, costumes, all bring the story to life in a way I was never quite able to imagine before. The yellow car was sublime, and the billboard with the eyes - in the book somehow I never was able to picture that and this film actually helped me understand the geography of the story better, in the drive between Long Island and Manhattan. The film is faithful to the original story. The editing was nicely done; I didn't feel that the film wasted time or dropped the ball with the story. Acting was fantastic from absolutely everyone, I loved Leonardo DiCaprio and Joel Edgerton. I didn't expect to feel sorry for Tom and somehow I did at one point. I was worried about the music after hearing the reviews but should have known better. Baz Luhrmann knows what he is doing. It was modern enough to be relatable but still connected to the older time - loved the Gershwin, very nice touch. But Nick Carraway stuck with me the most, after the film was over - excellent job by Toby McGuire and the writers. Nick is both a voyeur and a participant in the story - both outside and inside. The film really made that clear to me. I'll be thinking about Nick for a while, and what he could have/should have done differently, and how this story changed his life.