THE GREAT GATSBY (2013 - DRAMA / ROMANCE) *** out of *****
(If it's Eye - and Ear - Candy you want, you folks have come to right place...)
CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fisher.
DIRECTORS: Baz Luhrmann
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some damn good reasons to run out and buy THE GREAT GATSBY soundtrack music - straight ahead...
IT'S LIKE THIS: Man, if you could rate a movie just based on its cinematography and music, THE GREAT GATSBY would rate a perfect ***** (spectacular) rating. This movie is simply gorgeous to look at and listen to. Unfortunately, there are other things that one must take into consideration when reviewing a film - like characterization, plot, emotional resonance, narrative cohesion, and yaddayaddayaddayaddayadda. When taken into consideration, these elements drop THE GREAT GATSBY's rating down to around ***, which is just above average. It could've rated higher, but we'll discuss that in the BUT SERIOUSLY portion of this review.
For now, let's talk story and, more importantly, character. THE GREAT GATSBY is titled so because of its lead character, the mysterious and elusive bazillionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Apparently, Jay is like one of those Hollywood moguls from the 70's who loved to throw awesome house parties that make it into the next day's papers, at least, and into the annals of timeless legends, at most. Except Jay lives in the Roaring Twenties, post-World War I, when New York was rising faster than a Great White closing in on a swimmer on the surface. And when the house parties take place in a house that's really more like a castle, well, you get the idea. Anyhow, the "mysterious" and "elusive" parts come into play because, well, it seems that not many people have actually seen Mr. Jay Gatsby, despite his propensity to be one hell of party-thrower. Which just makes him even more fascinating to everyone around him.
Especially Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). Nick is no bazillionaire like our boy Jay G. Not even close, but this doesn't stop him from being curious like, oh, the rest of the Eastern seaboard. I suppose it doesn't help that lowly Nick, a humble Wall Street trader, has been staying a lowly beach cottage that is directly adjacent to Jay G.'s massive (and I do mean "massive") estate. Nick even sometimes catches Jay spying on him from one of the castle's (let's face it, folks - it's indeed a fucking castle) windows. But why would a powerful bazillionaire like The Great Jay Gatsby even bother to spy on someone like Nick? And why does Nick suddenly get a special invitation to Jay G.'s next party?
I don't have to tell you folks that Nick getting a invite to Jay Gatsby's party would be kind of like me getting an invite to Andrew Garfield's Body Paint Extravaganza Blowout. Not that Andy G. would ever be that sleazy - but if he did, and he invited me to his shindig, that would be, for me, the equivalent of Nick getting invited to Jay G.'s. Except I don't think Nick wants to lick body paint off Jay G.'s chest, the way I fully intend to do with Andy G. Hmmmmm... well, whatever.
Anyhow, Nick ends up going to the party - and sure enough the event is basically the event version of a mind-blowing orgasm. Trust me, you have not lived until you have attended a party that is basically a 20's flapper extravaganza - but with booming house/techno music on the loud speakers. Yes, folks, it's a melodious mindfuck. But that's what makes the best parties, right? It goes without saying that Nick has somewhat of a good time.
It doesn't hurt that Nick actually manages to meet his mysterious host: the elusive, enigmatic Jay G. Before you know it, the distant millionaire and the diffident average dude are best buddies, and Jay is schooling Nick on the ways of the world. It soon becomes apparent, however, that as genuine and generous as Jay is in his treatment of Nick, he also has a bit of a hidden agenda. Hmmmmm... what could it be?
Well, we don't have to wait long to discover it. See, it turns out that homeboy Nick is cousins with a certain Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), and rich boy Jay has got the serious hots for her. Jay thinks that he can get Nick to give him a leg up in his pursuit of Daisy. Remember that stupid douching commercial with the slogan "Hail to the V?" which implied that the greatest warriors in human history waged vicious legendary battles in the pursuit of pussy and poontang? Well, Jay's pursuit of Daisy is further proof of it. If you needed cinematic proof of how stupid men can be, look no further than THE GREAT GATSBY.
So... will Nick be able to help Jay win Daisy's snatch, er, hand? How will they deal with the fact that Daisy is already married to the powerful (and powerfully assholish) Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton)? Will Tom take all of this lying down? Or is he going to challenge Jay, head-on? Does it matter that Tom himself has been whoring around with a common tramp by the name of Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher)? And, come on: is Daisy really worth all that trouble anyway?
Survey says: no. Memo to Jay Gatsby: Manhattan is an ocean teeming with hot fish. Move on, dude...
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Sometimes a film can be well-crafted and directed, but still underwhelm because of the miscasting of a key role. We've seen numerous examples of this over the years. THE GODFATHER III was a solid chapter in the Corleone Family trilogy - but was hampered by the ill-advised casting of Sophia Coppola (the director's daughter) in the pivotal role of Mary Corleone. Coppola has gone on to become a wonderfully talented writer/director who has given us LOST IN TRANSLATION, SOMEWHERE, & THE BLING RING, but at the time of THE GODFATHER III, she just didn't have the life experience to properly bring the tragic Mary to life.
Another example of a good film that was hindered by a very miscast lead is FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL. As the charming but commitment-phobic Charles, Hugh Grant was perfection. However, as the object of his affections - the mysterious, dazzling, and unattainable Carrie - Andie MacDowell was a bit flat. The role required someone so charismatic and breathtaking that we could understand why Charles would be so enamored by her and frustrated by his inability to pin her down. While MacDowell wasn't terrible as Carrie, she was simply not as effective as she should have been. Just imagine if Carrie had been played by the vibrant Julia Roberts - or someone with the same mix of chutzpah, beauty, and vulnerability. If so, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL would've been an even more exhilarating experience as we watched Charles finally nab the elusive Carrie after years of chasing her.
The same issue that plagued FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL also plagues THE GREAT GATSBY. Both films are about charming men who avoid commitment. Both films chronicle what happens when they each meet an alluring woman who makes them rethink their stance on love. Both films show what happens when the women turn out to be quite difficult to attain, leading to years of heartbreak and emotional cat-and-mouse. And, most significantly, both films feature female leads who are miscast. In FOUR WEDDINGS, Andie MacDowell was competent in her role, but not commanding. In her portrayal, Carrie came across as quite ordinary and not the dazzling, larger-than-life figure she should have been. As a result, we couldn't help but wonder why Charles was so nuts over her. In THE GREAT GATSBY, we have the same exact problem.
Carey Mulligan is one of my favorite performers. She has a solid, grounded presence that makes her suitable for "girl-next-door" roles that combine earthy innocence and wisdom. She delivered such roles quite strongly in AN EDUCATION, WALL STREET 2, and NEVER LET ME GO. Quite simply, Mulligan is a talented performer who makes decency and moral gravity quite compelling to watch. That is a more difficult task to accomplish than you think, since those traits can easily come across as dull, and for that, Mulligan deserves credit. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the range necessary to effectively portray the darker, more complex role of Daisy Buchanan.
As written in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, Daisy Buchanan is somewhat like an emotional prism: mercurial, alluring, quicksilver, and elusive. Under the superficial veneer of charm and girlishness are darker, more complex layers - most of which Daisy herself doesn't quite understand or is aware of. Mulligan is okay portraying the surface of Daisy that attracts initial attention - but she fails to show us the deeper shadings that are necessary to keep suitors and admirers like Tom and Jay intrigued and mystified. As such, the character ends up becoming quite boring to watch, and we end up questioning why Gatsby is so obsessed with her. Which undercuts his character, in turn.
Fortunately, Jay Gatsby is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who has steadily proven his talent over the years. In the hands of a less interesting performer, Gatsby could've come across as a sad chump, especially considering the weakness of Mulligan's portrayal of Daisy. Instead, DiCaprio manages to retain our sympathies. He basically does all the heavy lifting here for the two of them, and keeps us emotionally invested in the "relatinship." It is somewhat tragic, though, because we're supposed to feel bad that Gatsby is separated from his "great" love by circumstances and fate. Instead, we feel bad because he is wasting him time on a woman who is not worth his attention in the first place.
Leading the stellar supporting cast is Tobey Maguire, whose mix of earnest innocence and softness is right for the role of Nick. The character is somewhat of a blank slate, and Maguire correctly plays him this way. This is fine, because Nick Carraway is the "portal character" that the audience uses to view the story. In short, he is "us." His eyes are our own, as we watch the sad saga of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan unfold.
Joel Edgerton is a dynamite presence as Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband and Jay's rival. Edgerton has the same potently masculine screen presence that Russell Crowe and Gerard Butler have - that kind of X Factor that fills up a room. They don't have to speak when they enter, because everyone notices them automatically. Edgerton makes Tom into a formidable adversary for Jay. However, as with Jay's obsession with Daisy, Tom's fierce desire to hold on to her is made similarly inexplicable by Mulligan's flat performance as the woman these men are fighting over.
Interestingly, the actress who might have made a smashing and dynamic Daisy is part of the supporting cast: Elizabeth Debicki. She plays Jordan Baker, Daisy's icily distant, somewhat snobbish best friend who initially helps Nick and Jay get Daisy's attention. Debicki makes the role of Jordan feel bigger than it is, infusing her with cool mystery and confident poise. Whenever she is in a scene, she effortlessly steals attention from everyone around her. Your eyes go directly to her - even if she's in the background, not saying a single word, but speaking with gestures and expressions. Debicki is clearly a talent to watch, and I can't help but wonder how much better this film would've been with her playing Daisy.
In the end, THE GREAT GATSBY is hindered by Carey Mulligan's fatal miscasting as Daisy Buchanan - but is saved by strong turns from Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, and - especially - Elizabeth Debicki. And let's not forget the vibrant and evocative music that is almost a character of its own. Then again, this is a Baz Luhrmann film, and his films all use music as a powerful way to tell the story.
In closing, please marinade in the music of THE GREAT GATSBY...
