The Great Gatsby
Published November 23, 2013
Film info
- Title The Great Gatsby
- Director Baz Luhrmann
- Year 2013
- Run time 2hr 23m
- Genres Drama, Romance
- Tagline Reserving judgement is a matter of infininte hope
The Great Gatsby follows would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
Live Blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 2:38 | It’s Spiderman! The one that hunches. |
| 4:08 | The 1920s does look fun. |
| 8:40 | “Oh, you must know Gatsby.” And that’s where it all begins. |
| 16:26 | Isla Fisher with a New York accent is fun. |
| 18:22 | “Myrtle turtle!” That’s what happens when you have a name like Myrtle. |
| 26:59 | 1920s cars are also fantastic. |
| 28:26 | There’s a band there with a lot of fezzes on. The Doctor would love it. |
| 30:24 | Oddly loving Spiderman being totally in love with Leonardo’s smile. |
| 33:04 | I wouldn’t fancy clearing up after that party! |
| 34:07 | You know a party has ended well when people are randomly throwing themselves in your fountain. |
| 37:56 | Did they have photoshop in the 1920s? |
| 48:20 | Must cost an awful lot of money to light these massive houses. |
| 56:13 | I don’t remember Gatsby being so bumbling in the book. I love it. |
| 1:02:33 | The huge dressing room thing is brilliant. As long as you have people to help you with the laundry. |
| 1:04:59 | “These are a load of clippings I collect… about you.” People have gotten restraining orders for less! |
| 1:10:04 | What are they going to do in future when there are no newspapers? They won’t be able to do the spinning front page thing. |
| 1:17:53 | “We’re having a row,” she says. Quietest row ever. |
| 1:28:55 | Awkward conversation coming right up. |
| 1:29:59 | That’s the biggest lighter I’ve ever seen. |
| 1:33:40 | $1.20 for gas. I really like to 20s. |
| 1:36:41 | How can he be so judgemental, having affairs of his own all the time. |
| 1:50:10 | That’s the only bit I actually remember specifically from the book. The rest is an overall feeling. |
| 1:57:19 | I sort of can’t take him seriously in his pink trousers. |
| 2:03:19 | I don’t want to ruin the moment, but Leo floating dead in the water is a bit Titanic. |
| 2:08:29 | “Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…” |
Conclusions
Oddly, Mr C has been looking forward to this film ever since we saw the first trailer, despite not really knowing anything about the subject. I’d read the book and didn’t really enjoy it all that much, so whilst I was intrigued about the adaptation, I felt a bit more ’take it or leave it’ about it. It’s also quite long, as films go, so we had to clear some space in the schedule to squeeze it in.
I thought this was a really good film, surprising actually because I wasn’t filled with hope going into it. The direction is so very Baz Luhrmann and although it takes a bit of getting used to, it spices up what could otherwise be a dull two and a bit hours. The acting is good, Leonardo is really on top-form. I’ve realised that although I do have a big problem with the dialogue in Spiderman, a lot of my feelings might also come from Tobey Maguire… just not a fan. Aside from that, though, the only real problem with the film is the same as with the book - none of the characters are particularly likeable or relatable which makes it hard to properly care.
**Rating: **4/5
Rating: 4 / 5