The Great Gatsby (2013)

Director: Baz Luhrman
Starring: Toby Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton,  Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fischer
Certificate: 12
Genre: Romance, Drama
Awards: Best Costume, Best Production

Based off of F. Scott Fitzgerald's critically acclaimed novel, The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway (Maguire) after he moves to NewYork city and meets a very strange man called Gatsby (DiCaprio). Gatsby lives next door and throws lavish parties for everybody in town. However nobody really knows much about him until Nick comes along. Gatsby opens his life to Nick because he is in love with Nick's cousin and always has been. Unfortunately she is now married with children to another.

Although DiCaprio's performance should be praised, it is Maguire who really shines in this film. We feel what Nick feels and the power of his voiceover (especially at the end where it gets really powerful) is what makes the film.

Visually the film is nice to look at, mixing old fashioned and modern music to make this weird hybrid, and all the characters are done justice. The plot may seem boring to many and that is understandable as not much really happens. There is no world changing conclusion and we end almost the same as when we began. Albeit The Great Gatsby is a good film even if it does not mach up to Luhrman's past achievements.

****Good