The Great Gatsby
Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) adapts F. Scott Fitzgerald’s romantic masterpiece set in New York in the spring of 1922 - an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher and Joel Edgerton. Winner of the 2014 Academy Awards for Best Costume and Production Design.
Would-be writer Nick Carraway (Maguire) leaves the Midwest for New York, chasing his own American Dream. He lands next door to mysterious, party-giving millionaire Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin Daisy (Mulligan) and her philandering, blue-blooded husband Tom (Edgerton). Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super-rich and, from within, pens a tale of love, ambition and tragedy.
- Director:
- Baz Luhrmann ('Australia', 'Romeo + Juliet', 'Moulin Rouge!')
- Writer:
- Baz LuhrmannCraig Pearce
- Cast:
- Leonardo DiCaprioCarey MulliganTobey MaguireIsla FisherJoel EdgertonCallan McAuliffeGemma WardJason Clarke
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressWhat Luhrmann grasps even less than previous adapters of the tale is that Fitzgerald was, via his surrogate Carraway, offering an eyewitness account of the decline of the American empire, not an invitation to the ball.
Total Film
pressLike Gatsby himself, the movie's a handsome attraction whose dizzying/vulgar wealth is unashamedly flaunted to court favour with bright young things.
Time Out
pressThe anachronistic pop-music cues, digitally augmented tracking shots and disco-globe-glittery production design don't re-create the headiness of early-20th-century New York so much as invent a billowy fantasy otherworld in the gauzy vein of Twilight.
The New York Times
pressLess a conventional movie adaptation than a splashy, trashy opera, a wayward, lavishly theatrical celebration of the emotional and material extravagance that Fitzgerald surveyed with fascinated ambivalence.
The Guardian
pressAn energetic, glittering adaptation of the classic Fitzgerald novel, but sacrifices all of the original's subtlely in the process.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThe cast is first-rate, the ambiance and story provide a measure of intoxication and, most importantly, the core thematic concerns pertaining to the American dream, self-reinvention and love lost, regained and lost again are tenaciously addressed.
Empire Magazine
pressDespite DiCaprio's prize performance, purists will fume, but even as lit-crashing razzle-dazzle entertainment Luhrmann's adaptation is a candelabrum too far.
I appreciate that the critics poo poo'd this movie as lacking the drama of the novel. I read the novel and thought the film contained most of the elements and symbolism of the book. The photography was exquisite, and that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Beautifully crafted yet somehow soulless and not a patch on the source material. That said, there's a corking soundtrack, some gorgeously crafted cinematography, costumes, sets and scenes. Worthy more than worthwhile, interesting more than entertaining and dazzling rather than dramatic. Still, good to see Leo stretching his acting chops. With this and his...
I felt like I expected so much more from this movie and just didn't quite live up to it! The soundtrack was fantastic and it was worth seeing, I just still left feeling a little bit disappointed...
This was a fantastic movie and great production design and the amazing colours in the film were amazing. Tobey Maguire acting was brilliant he deserves to be nominated for an Oscar and the rest of the cast were awesome as well Leo Di Caprio has always been fantastic since Titanic. 5 stars
I can't remember the last time a film took me by surprise quite as much as Baz Luhrmann's lavish, lascivious adaptation of The Great Gatsby. If you've seen the marketing for the film you might think (as I did) that you know what to expect, but beyond all the glitz and spectacle, Luhrmann and his fantastic cast offer a faithful, enveloping and timely take on...
Seeing this movie was a big mistake on our part! How appropriate then to steal this quote from a professional reviewer: "Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is a failure that should have at least been a magnificent mistake." Sadly, it is not. I have never read the novel (nor do I want to) and haven't seen the 1974 movie version of this story, but it certainly...
Given Baz Luhrmann's zest for cinema spectacle, his gaudy visual sensibilities fit the The Great Gatsby period of excess and decadence. Luhrmann's adaptation follows many that have come before it which kinda limits its appeal. However, like any film adaptations of famous literary works, its the director and the actors that command the audience. DiCaprio...
Variety
pressWhat Luhrmann grasps even less than previous adapters of the tale is that Fitzgerald was, via his surrogate Carraway, offering an eyewitness account of the decline of the American empire, not an invitation to the ball.
Total Film
pressLike Gatsby himself, the movie's a handsome attraction whose dizzying/vulgar wealth is unashamedly flaunted to court favour with bright young things.
Time Out
pressThe anachronistic pop-music cues, digitally augmented tracking shots and disco-globe-glittery production design don't re-create the headiness of early-20th-century New York so much as invent a billowy fantasy otherworld in the gauzy vein of Twilight.
The New York Times
pressLess a conventional movie adaptation than a splashy, trashy opera, a wayward, lavishly theatrical celebration of the emotional and material extravagance that Fitzgerald surveyed with fascinated ambivalence.
The Guardian
pressAn energetic, glittering adaptation of the classic Fitzgerald novel, but sacrifices all of the original's subtlely in the process.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThe cast is first-rate, the ambiance and story provide a measure of intoxication and, most importantly, the core thematic concerns pertaining to the American dream, self-reinvention and love lost, regained and lost again are tenaciously addressed.
Empire Magazine
pressDespite DiCaprio's prize performance, purists will fume, but even as lit-crashing razzle-dazzle entertainment Luhrmann's adaptation is a candelabrum too far.
I appreciate that the critics poo poo'd this movie as lacking the drama of the novel. I read the novel and thought the film contained most of the elements and symbolism of the book. The photography was exquisite, and that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Beautifully crafted yet somehow soulless and not a patch on the source material. That said, there's a corking soundtrack, some gorgeously crafted cinematography, costumes, sets and scenes. Worthy more than worthwhile, interesting more than entertaining and dazzling rather than dramatic. Still, good to see Leo stretching his acting chops. With this and...
I felt like I expected so much more from this movie and just didn't quite live up to it! The soundtrack was fantastic and it was worth seeing, I just still left feeling a little bit disappointed...
This was a fantastic movie and great production design and the amazing colours in the film were amazing. Tobey Maguire acting was brilliant he deserves to be nominated for an Oscar and the rest of the cast were awesome as well Leo Di Caprio has always been fantastic since Titanic. 5 stars
I can't remember the last time a film took me by surprise quite as much as Baz Luhrmann's lavish, lascivious adaptation of The Great Gatsby. If you've seen the marketing for the film you might think (as I did) that you know what to expect, but beyond all the glitz and spectacle, Luhrmann and his fantastic cast offer a faithful, enveloping and timely take...
Seeing this movie was a big mistake on our part! How appropriate then to steal this quote from a professional reviewer: "Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is a failure that should have at least been a magnificent mistake." Sadly, it is not. I have never read the novel (nor do I want to) and haven't seen the 1974 movie version of this story, but it...
Given Baz Luhrmann's zest for cinema spectacle, his gaudy visual sensibilities fit the The Great Gatsby period of excess and decadence. Luhrmann's adaptation follows many that have come before it which kinda limits its appeal. However, like any film adaptations of famous literary works, its the director and the actors that command the audience. DiCaprio...
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