Synopsis: Based on the classic novel by F Scott Fitzgerald this is the story of mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo diCaprio) and his love for Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan).
Stan's thoughts: Confess I wasn't a great fan of the book when I read it years ago - maybe I should re-read - as I couldn't find a connection or empathy with any of the characters. With this film Baz Luhrman has put the book into a cocktail shaker alongside all his trademark ingredients. This is Gatsby with the raucous in your face extravagance and glamour of Moulin Rouge and the heart of Romeo + Juliet. And I enjoyed it far more than I expected.
Having not read the book for many years I couldn't tell what he'd added and taken away but the key difference for me and, therefore, the key to my enjoyment was that I cared about the characters. For all the noise and colour it felt like a love story. Gatsby is an enigma un-coded by his love for Daisy and that is something I never got from the book. It felt like a tragic tale which, again, is something I never got from the book.
I've heard some sniffy reviews but I really enjoyed this. Looking at the review aggregators it seems to be a film audiences are enjoying more than the critics (audience rating on Rotten Tomato is 72% and the IMDB rating below is an audience rating).
Ratings
- Stan's 78%
- IMDB 75%
- Metascore 54%
- Rotten Tomatoes 50%
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