Exquisite

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2020)

I was honestly in a trance for about 4/5 days after seeing this in the cinema - it was all I could think about, and I'm still obsessed.
Every single frame is exquisite, the attention to detail of the costumes and the set design is insane, and it feels almost immersive - like you are slap bang in the middle of all the opulence. The music choices were impeccable, particularly the songs from Watch the Throne (Jay-Z / Kanye West) which didn't seem out of place whatsoever. The songs by Lana Del Rey & Florence & The Machine were truly haunting, and I still get chills whenever I hear them.
No other actor could have mastered the role of Gatsby quite like Leonardo DiCaprio. The scene in the Plaza hotel is breathtaking - the tension created between Gatsby & Tom is heightened massively by the stifling heat in the room, and I found this actually quite claustrophobic to watch. After Tom deliberately antagonises Gatsby, you can physically see DiCaprio's entire body convulse. The horror in his eyes when he realises he has let Tom get the better of him is so heartbreaking to watch - though is a testament to DiCaprio's acting skills.
The narrative style is excellent, and I particularly loved the way some of the words were written on screen as Nick said them.
Gatsby's origin story was beautifully shot, and almost comes around full circle with his younger & older self still grasping for more. Though I feel he was way too much of an idealist, and expected a little too much of Daisy at times, his hope for a better life for himself was quite inspiring.
The Great Gatsby is a TREAT to the eyes, and Gatsby was definitely "worth the whole damn bunch put together"