The average but enjoyable Gatsby

I don't do film reviews, not because I don't like sharing my experience but because I usually don't have much to say about the films. However, after just finishing second year I feel more confident and I also actually have opinions about the Great Gatsby so I hereby introduce my first film review.

I finished reading The Great Gatsby about 2 months ago and when I read it is was only for my own sake which meant that I probably didn't pay as much attention to the details as I would have done if it was for school as many people had too. However I think the film managed to stay quite accurate to the book. There were scenes in the film that probably could have been made shorter and some needed more explanations to make the audience understand what they actually contribute. I guess this is a problem with all film adaptations of books. It is impossible to get all the details in the book to fit into a film, especially when films nowadays very rarely are longer than 2 hours and in this case it was even longer than that. The film also focuses a lot on the romantic part of the story and leaves out parts of the background story and details that might have contributed to the film but I guess that is what most Hollywood films do. People want to see romance because they can relate to it so that is what the films are going to show.
I enjoyed the way the shots were different from the classic shots in Hollywood films. Baz Luhrmann (the director) seem to have experimented with the angles of the camera and the shifts between scenes. I really appreciated this in one of the scenes of the parties where everything seems to float together and it gave the feeling of everything being distant but yet very close but in a blur which was probably the feeling they had during the time.
The film seems to actually be quite accurate to the time which made it feel like it was an adaptation of the book and not a way to try to make a modern version of it which we've seen with other stories such as Romeo and Juliet. What annoyed me though was the soundtrack. They've chosen to use modern songs in many of the scenes which does not fit to the mood the film is trying to explain at all. I think it is a shame to have these songs destroying a scene that is made accurate and make it look like a scene from spring break in a teenage film. I also don't think that some of the songs fitted in some of the scenes like Beyoncé's crazy in love in one of the scenes. Even though the song might have worked in a different part of the film, it didn't fit in in this scene. I got the feeling that the music took over instead of being there to add on to the experience which is not that film music are there for. I sometimes got the feeling I was watching a music video instead of actually watching a film. If the soundtrack was more accurate I would have enjoyed the film a lot more.
When reading the book I didn't really have a picture of how the characters looked like which made it quite easy for me to adjust to the actors in the film. I think they all gave a great performance and Leonardo DiCaprio manages to show Gatsby's different sides in a very good way and to be slightly honest, even if I wouldn't have enjoyed the film, it was worth every penny just to look that pretty man on a big screen. I also think Tobey MacGuire suited as Nick since he manages to pull off the naive boy that is being dragged into someone else's problems in life even though many of us probably see him as Spiderman.

The Great Gatsby is one of these films that we get to choose between paying a high price to see in 2D or pay an absolute fortune to see in 3D. For me the obvious choice was to see it in 2D which I now afterwards have no regret on. The film doesn't have any special effect that would have added on to the experience if they were 3D. Personally I think that 3D undermines the peoples imagination and possibility to enjoy a normal film instead of having to be fascinated by the annoying things coming towards you. There might be a charm in seeing it in 3D because you are getting a feeling of being a part of the film but lets face it, if you want to be in a film, become an actor.
I think the film in it's whole was enjoyable. I'm not sure I would recommend to go to the cinema and see it because it wasn't that special. There were parts of it that were really well made and I am constantly being amazed by the quality of the picture which probably is more enjoyable on a big screen. (I guess I've got used to watching old films) The soundtrack definitely made me like it a bit less but I've heard mixed reviews on it and some people might enjoy the modern twist on the music. I had very high expectations walking into the cinema and I walked out disappointed about the music but not the film itself. In my taste it was an average film but I did enjoy it and I do think people should see it, especially if you've read the book.

Here is a trailer for you if you haven't seen it. (or if you have and fancy watching the trailer anyways)

Also for you guys who enjoy finding mistakes in the film. In the end when Nick has flashbacks and he sees Gatsby and Daisy in the house he is not wearing the same jumper as he did in the original scene from earlier in the film. Look out for that when you're watching the film. (thanks to Alex for spotting it)