Tried to hate it after the first ten minutes, but couldn't by the end

Rating: 6/10 (13 March 2014)

When the first Jay-Z tune was played I was astonished. I was fully expecting re-orchestrated tunes of the time. Still, the Jay-Z compositions worked and as the film progressed I warmed to it considerably.
Yes, the film is very lush and there is a lot of computer graphics in it, the digital designers even played with character eye color, but this was an abundant period in American history. Though I took exception (a gut reaction) to the opening, I had to remind myself that the roaring twenties were called that because of the excess and cronyism that marked that time.
On reflection, the excess created by Luhrmann and his staff was not only fitting, it was necessary to convey the proper mood of the film. This "excess" was also necessary to the story line. After all, Gatsby has an ulterior motive for these parties.
It has been a while since I read the book, but I get the sense that the story and plot were followed rather favorably. The special effects brought to bear in the making of this film made pivotal moments that much more shocking, and in an odd way, real. At least the feelings the movie-goer is encouraged to have are that much more real due to the efforts made by the production team.
All in all I gave this a seven, a bit lower a score that I would have given had the film adhered a bit more to the times it is supposed to represent. Again, I have no objection to the Jay-Z music on it's own, but it did not really fit with this period in history...that is my main beef with this film.
Finally, though the effects were well placed and properly applied, I felt this film really didn't need them. They were, after all, way beyond what was required to tell the story.
I felt that the casting was pitch perfect. Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby McGuire were the exact right choices for the two principal characters. Carry Mulligan made a tragic and fragile Daisy. Joel Edgerton's portrayal of the two faced and manipulative Tom Buchanan made me hate him, which is exactly the feeling I was supposed to get for this character. The remaining men and women had precisely the look I would imagine for the twenties, beautiful, vain, and shallow. Finally, I think the supporting actors Jason Clarke (as George Wilson) and Isla Fisher (as Myrtle Wilson) were excellent. So casting, I felt, was about as good as it gets, the overall effect of the film was pretty overwhelming, but, that said, it didn't quite ring true.