The Great Gatsby

Year of Release: 2013

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher, Joel Edgerton

When I went to see this film I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I have never read the novel so I must admit I was ever so slightly clueless about what the story actually entailed, despite it being a renowned and well-known classic. I know from my school days that it was often one of the set texts in English, but it turns out I was destined to study Of Mice and Men instead. Although after seeing this film I'm rather disappointed that I wasn't forced to discover it sooner.

     The film is set in Long Island, New York in the summer of 1922. The story is told from the perspective of Nick Garraway (Tobey Maguire), a bond salesman and new arrival in town, who finds himself living next door to the mysterious and notoriously wealthy Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). The plot centres around the passionate and turbulent relationship between Garraway’s married cousin Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and Mr Gatsby, which is reignited following Nick’s arrival. The story is certainly not devoid of drama and I found myself completely caught up from the beginning right through to the end. From the extravagance of Gatsby’s home (which would be better described as some sort of palace) in the village of West Egg, to the rural suburban outskirts of New York, to the glitz and glamour of Gatsby’s weekly parties, I thought the spirit of the roaring 20’s was captured perfectly.

     The acting in the film was performed well. DiCaprio, who manages to impress me in every film I see him in, conveyed the mystery and charm of Gatsby perfectly. Tobey Maguire also did an excellent performance as Nick Garraway, although it did take me a little bit of adjustment to stop imagining him as Spiderman. The only criticism I can really offer is the overuse of the phrase ‘Old Sport’ which seemed to be uttered at the end of every sentence that came out of DiCaprio’s mouth. By the end of the film it did start to grate a little! But that minor criticism aside, I have to say I thought the film was fantastic and I would definitely recommend it.

Favourite bit: The scene where Gatsby throws all his shirts down over the stairs to where Daisy is standing below. The joyous and carefree look on his face simply can't fail to make you smile!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I'm going to pop out and buy the book!

My rating: 9/10