The Not So Great Gatsby

Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguir, leaves his home in the Midwest and comes to New York City in 1922. The roaring twenties was an era of glamorous parties, jazz, and loosened morals as a result of the sky-rocketing stock market. This light-hearted lifestyle is portrayed well throughout the novel by the amazing costumes and scenery. Carraway moves into a cozy, quaint home nestled in the middle of West Egg. Soon after getting acquainted with his cottage, he hears of a man called Gatsby, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Carraway visits his cousin Daisy, played by Carey Mulligan and her blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan, played by Joel Edgerton, and soon witnesses the problems within the household. Buchanan is having an affair and Daisy is still in love with someone she met years ago, Gatsby. The story is somewhat lost behind the special effects and comes abruptly to an end, leaving the audience confused.

Although the visual appeal was undoubtedly present, this movie lacked true heart and soul. Baz Luhrmann, the directory of this film, definitely chooses style over substance. Even though there was some love and scandal intertwined throughout, it is evident that the costumes took precedence over the execution of the story line.

The movie is almost one hundred percent accurate to the novel in terms of plot but doesn't accurately portray the theme or feeling, loosing it's impact. The movie plot was lost behind the glitter, champagne, and jewels. I believe that if the directory had spent less time on the props and more time on the acting and true feeling of the novel, the movie would have been a great success.


Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was not so great after all…