Gatsby!

So, after two weeks of waiting after the release I finally saw The Great Gatsby, and I feel the reviews it's getting do not justify the movie. Most reviews are actually pretty negative, but there is so much to appreciate from this particular interpretation of the movie. Side note: I am in love with this book.

First, the soundtrack. Many people were not happy with it. I was definitely one of those that was not happy with it. I mean The Great Gatsby is set in the roaring 20's, so when you see that the soundtrack is filled with rap and hip-hop instead of jazz you kind of do a double take and start thinking poorly of the movie before even seeing it. This music, though totally unexpected, fit the movie quite well. First off, it was not overdone. I thought it would be like Jay-Z bumping in the speakers all the time and me asking where in the world this came from since Jay-Z wasn't even alive then. Instead they used it to explain parts of the plot to the audience. This is my second point, it is used to really show us just how hard they partied in the 20's. I think if they would have played jazz music for all these intense parties the audience would not have completely understood. But since they accompanied the party scenes with rap and hip-hop the audience was able to understand that they party just as hard as many people party today. I think the only way our generation can understand that is through the use of rap music. 

Second, Leonardo DiCaprio is the best Jay Gatsby in the world. Seriously, he was amazing. He deserves so much recognition for this role. He tapped into it so well. I need to stop going on and on about it, and you need to go see the movie to understand. I really feel like I missed out on drooling over Leo back in the day, mostly because of my hate for Titanic. He is wonderful in all his movies, and I think this is one of his best performances.

Third, the characters became so much more real and so much more understandable to the audience. I think that since there is that time gap we don't always understand what Fitzgerald is saying in the book, but it translated so well to film. I think that this finally made me see Gatsby as human and not just this high and mighty man that got whatever he wanted. In this film you see that, but you also see how unhappy it all makes him. And how once he has Daisy he is happy, but there is still something missing (seriously, they worked with that green light so much better than the old version of the movie). You see how much things bother and tear him apart when it doesn't go his way, and you are much more drawn to him. I typically don't have a favorite character in this story, but after this movie I was really drawn to Gatsby and wanted him to find his happiness  That didn't really happen in the book for me. I feel like for the book I wanted him to get what was coming to him. Then there's Daisy. I think Daisy is a hard character for anyone to portray because she is so much. She is an air head in my eyes, but yet completely aware of it. She is full of herself, selfish, and a bit manipulative. She is also unhappy. I think that it wasn't portrayed poorly in the movie. I mean I still ended up hating her at the end, but I didn't have the complete rage that I had with her at the end of the book. When I finished the book I had wished bad things on her because she was just a terrible person and toyed with everyone around her. Didn't quite get that from the movie.

AMAZING COSTUMES! Seriously, I loved them so much. That's pretty much all I have to say on that one.

I'm sure I could find more to say about the movie, but that is pretty much my main reactions after seeing it. I really did like it, but I am glad that I went into it with low expectations. I think that liking the book as much as I do I would have hated the movie if I had come into it with really high expectations. It is entertaining, a bit funny, and sad. Definitely worth seeing. So much of it was taken word for word from the book (I LOVED how they had the quote from the end of the book in the movie. It ends it so well) and I think they did a really good job putting it together. I'm sorry for hating on you Baz Lurhmann.

One negative comment....are you serious...Tobey Macguire? You couldn't have gotten anyone else to play the role of Nick Carraway. I cannot stand Toby Macguire. Terrible actor. I mean, have you SEEN SPIDERMAN??? ALL THREE OF THEM? Terrible.

ugh, just look at him. No good as Nick Carraway, or in any movie at that.

Now to end with my favorite song from the movie at this moment. Hope more people go to see it. Worth the time.