Background
The Great Gatsby is a book everyone is supposed to read, only about half actually do, and a handful of people list as one of their favorites to try and sound smart.
Review
There were three things that gave me hesitations about this movie well before I saw the film or any of the reviews leading up to its release.
1) Baz Luhrmann
Baz isn't exactly a household name, but chances are you've seen one of his three big releases. He is the man behind the mid-90s Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge, and Australia. He is a perfect example of someone who is style over substance. His theory seems to be, if I show you something shiny or beautiful, you'll forget that what you're watching doesn't have much else besides pretty visuals. For some people that might be enough, or for certain movies that might be enough, but literature classics are usually considered such because of their story. This movie certainly could have used more Fitzgerald and less Luhrmann.
2) 3-D
3-D movies are a new fad that is really only there for the studios to get a few more dollars per ticket at the box office, while you have to sit and watch a darkened version of a movie with glasses that probably give you headaches. The quality of 3-D in movies, outside of maybe a very small few, has usually ranged from bad to meh. I can see the niche appeal for a movie that has a lot of action going on, or possibly used in a campy style for a by-the-numbers horror movie, but in a drama? Not only does a story like Gatsby not need to be in 3-D (and I guarantee it wouldn't have been if any other director in the world had made this), but it wasn't even originally planned to be, and the release was pushed back by 6 months in order to convert it to this unnecessary format. Which brings me to my next point...
3) Delayed December Release
The official reason that was stated for this film, which was originally slated to open in December 2012, to be delayed until May 2013, was the post production 3-D conversion. While that may very well be the main reason, there is another theory that most critics come to when any December release is delayed. Most movies released late in the year, especially a drama with big name actors, and in this case a unique visual style, is usually done so for the opportunity to be discussed as a potential Oscar nominee. When a movie is willing to trade in gold statues for a bigger box office return, they've usually been told already their movie isn't good enough.
The biggest problem with this movie isn't that there is any one or two things disastrous about it, but there isn't even one thing overly brilliant. The visuals, even if you think they're great, are really only a huge focus for about the first third of the film. Outside of a few car driving scenes, once you get through the first party and the introduction of Gatsby, the visual style is really quite toned down, and in my opinion, more tolerable.
The downside to this is, once you get past the first act, this movie just becomes really boring.
The acting is a little over the top at times, although I imagine some of this was done purposefully. Dicaprio is, as usual, extremely good, and even Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan has his moments, but outside of that, the word bland comes to mind. Tobey Maguire's voice has always been annoyingly pre-pubescent to me, so his narration throughout becomes tiresome. I wouldn't have any complaints about Carey Mulligan on her own right, but her and Leo's lack of chemistry makes for some awkward scenes. It's like watching two people who were set up by mutual friends, so they feel obligated to play up their feelings towards each other, but you never really buy that they are "the one" for each other.
I would have appreciated a hip-hop full soundtrack in a movie that took place in the 1920's a lot more if I thought there was an artistic reason behind it other than trying to milk the soundtrack sales and bring in another demographic to the theaters by splashing Jay-Z's name on advertisements. There could have been a real meta thing going on between the theme of excess in America before the Great Depression, and how it relates to the rap culture today, but that's giving this film and filmmaker way too much credit.
In the end, this isn't a terrible film. It isn't even a bad film. It's really just a terribly disappointing one.
Rating
6 out of 10
Next Week: Star Trek: Into Darkness
No comments:
Post a Comment