The Great Gatsby

To me, Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby felt like it was trying too hard. Trying too hard to be hip, to hard to be modern, to hard to be cool. Then again, I read the book in High School and never liked it, so why would I like the second film based off this book? I'd seen the Robert Redford version of Gatsby already, it seemed like the only thing this version could add to it was more color and a bumping Jay-Z soundtrack. It's not a terrible film, it's not an unwatchable film, to me it was just an "okay" film.

Since I never liked the book, I don't know if I can objectively review this film. I never connected with Gatsby's story. Sure he is in love with Daisy, but she never fully returns that love. She's too childish to make a decision between Gatsby and her husband. Also, I never fully understood why for Gatsby, Daisy had to say she never loved Tom, her husband. Is it so much for someone else to move on after you leave them? Is that so hard to accept? I think therein lies my problem with F. Scott Fitzgerald's story, his two main characters are children, too dumb to see and accept they are immature.

Look, if you like the Gatsby book, the film does a good job with the spectacle. Much more so than the drab Robert Redford film. Check it out, its full of fine performances from everyone involved, but again, it wasn't for me.

2 out of 5 stars.