It finally happened. After months of anticipation (especially after they postponed the release date from December to May), I finally got to experience The Great Gatsby! On Sunday, I planned a little movie date with my friends from work. It was tough avoiding reviews on Friday and Saturday. While movie critics seemed to love it, I was reading a lot of negative feedback on Facebook and blogs. I didn't want them to influence my own opinion of the film.
I ended up really enjoying the movie! I keep telling everyone that I think it's beautiful and fantastic. Below are the main things that caught my attention:
The Director: If you don't like Australian director Baz Luhrmann's style then you won't enjoy this movie. I loved Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, so I was really looking forward to experiencing Luhrmann's interpretation of The Great Gatsby. He's a very bold director though, so I can see how he might not be every one's cup of tea.
The Film: One comment I didn't ignore was people's thoughts on 2D vs. 3D. I read really negative posts about the 3D version being over-the-top and cartoonish. Because of that, I made sure I saw the 2D version (and I'm glad I did!). The film is already very colorful, artsy, and has a lot going on especially during the NYC and party scenes - I can see how watching it in 3D could be a little overwhelming.
The Music: I read a Facebook post about how the music completely ruined the film, but I have to disagree. I thought it was wonderful! I'm absolutely obsessed with the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, so I had high hopes for The Great Gatsby's music. I love how Luhrmann takes classics songs from Elton John and Queen and sets them to a story that takes place in 1900 for Moulin Rouge!. For Gatsby, he took a little Beyonce and Kanye and made it work in a 1920's setting. When "Crazy in Love Kid" started playing during the movie, I couldn't help but smile.
The Cast: Leo made a perfect Jay Gatsby in my opinion. I thought it was cute that his real life bestie, Toby Maguire, played Nick Carraway. Carey Mulligan was lovely as Daisy - it was easy to both adore and despise her character. My only complaint is that Isla Fisher (LOVED her since Wedding Crashers) is in the movie for all but about 10 seconds and 5 of those seconds she is playing a dead body! (No, I didn't ruin the movie for you if you paid any sort of attention in high school English class...)
The Story: Speaking of English class, I thought the movie did a good job of sticking true to the original story. A lot of the script seemed to come straight from the pages of the book. As with Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, it's hard to take such a classic tale and spin it in a modern way without people complaining about it. I bet it's also difficult to keep people interested in a movie when they already know the ending. Luhrmann did a good job completing both tasks.
The Fashion: The 1920's fashion and accessories might have been my favorite part of the whole movie. Obviously, I'm already a sucker for guys in great suits, so this movie was my heaven. The ladies looked just as stunning in their lace and beaded outfits. Daisy's flowy, feminine dresses were my favorite, but her Tiffany jewelry definitely stole the show. The first shot of Daisy includes just her left hand and her enormous engagement ring. It's so beautiful! Her diamond and pearl headpiece she rocks at one of Gatby's parties might be my second favorite favorite piece of jewelry (It can be yours for only $200,000!). I saw both pieces at Tiffany on 5th Avenue, and they are breathtakingly gorgeous in person!
While The Great Gatsby doesn't break my Top 5 Favorite Movies List, I still really enjoyed the film. Luhrmann and the cast did a wonderful job of representing the Jazz Age Era and F. Scott Fitzgerald's tragic tale. Plus, the soundtrack is amazing. I've been jamming out to it as I type this...
If you saw the movie this weekend let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Stay fit and fabulous,
A
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