GATSBY

I finally saw Gatsby. It came to the dollar theater the week I was moving, so I was able to go to a late night showing of it with Shae. 

HOLY COW IT WAS SO GOOD.

Brief side note:

Back in the Titanic days, I didn't love Leo. You know how he used to be called Leo DeCRAPrio? Guilty. Don't hate on me. (And let's be honest I still loved the crap out of Titanic, because really, it's Titanic.) But I didn't love him. I thought he was kind of weird and awkward looking and had no love. THEN Inception came out in... Looking it up... 2010?! And I fell in love. With him and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love Inception so much you don't even know. Anyway. Ever since then I've really enjoyed him and his movies, even his old stuff. Ok.

So. Even when I just heard of the casting I thought it was perfect, and then the trailer came out and I was floored. And then seeing the movie was incredible. I loved how they never showed Gatsby's face until the party and he turns around and there are fireworks and he just is perfect and I loved it so much.

Everything that had to do with Gatsby was perfect in this film. Leo could do no wrong. He got every emotion, every phrase, perfect. It was an impeccable performance. Wow.

Moving on to other aspects I enjoyed. I REALLY liked Carey Mulligan as Daisy. She did a great job as well. Some people think that Daisy is a shallow, easy to play character, and while I agree to some degree... I think there is a little more to Daisy than that and I think Carey did a great job in her acting that portrayed a little of her under the surface personality and emotions.

Let's be honest I enjoyed MOST of the characters. Tom was great, as was Jordan. All the other more minor characters were wonderful as well.

The only weakness to this masterpiece? 

Tobey Maguire. I've never loved him. He is not attractive, has a strange voice, and strange acting tendencies. He looks like a lost and/or bewildered puppy the majority of the film and I just didn't love him. It's a shame he's the narrator. But, I suppose I didn't love him too much in the book, either, so that's how it goes. No matter how much I didn't enjoy that casting - it didn't really bring down the movie for me. 

I suppose the only other thing I didn't enjoy from the movie was the directly borrowing of scenes from Moulin Rouge!. I love that movie. I understand that both films are made by Baz Luhrman and so there will be similarities but the scenes of Nick furiously typing away direct bring back images of Christian doing the same. I didn't love that.

I understand why they did what they did with the story (i.e. put Nick in a sanitarium) and I can appreciate that, although it is in no way part of the book.

I loved the parties. Oh, the parties. I loved the music. It was perfect and chilling and wonderful. 

I so enjoyed the scene of (SPOILER) Gatsby's death - inlaid with the phone calls, that show up to his death he had hope for Daisy and her call. Perfect.

I might mention that we read this book in my honors English class, junior year. Mr. Rich was a young, energetic teacher, and we loved him. He brought the story to life, and, let's be honest, we analyzed the crap out of it. I've loved it ever since, and each time I read it I love it more and get more out of it. I think this film did it great justice, and really pulls you into the book and shows it to you, which shouldn't a great film adaptation do? After all, the text of The Great Gatsby is mostly text and description, and this movie, again, captured all the little details and really made you see the book. 

I will stop with my typing and leave it at this.

I loved this movie. It lived up to my expectations. I would give it an A rating for sure. (Perhaps an A-, for the sheer fact that Tobey Maguire is in it.)

(Also, if you haven't read the book and don't know what to expect, I can't promise you you'll
like it. I just can't.)

BTW - HERE is a great review that I would recommend, I really enjoyed it.

Also, if you like YA lit as well as The Great Gatsby, you should check out the book Jake, Reinvented, by Gordon Korman. It's a loose modern day adaptation of Gatsby, set in a high school. It's worth a read.