Review of The Great Gatsby (2013) by Dan Chi T — 23 May 2014

As highly professional film that based it's slightest change to the book and the best attempt yet in recreating history, this is still not counted as an Oscar dream film, not a Cannes opener, not measuring up to so many high hopes, not anywhere near DiCaprio's other masterpiece, and certainly, not the best adaptation yet if comparing to past adaptations (The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Silver Linings Playbook, ...).

This ambitious dream proves once again, the theory of adapting drama thriller that uses too many effects is not gonna work any time near. It hogs down every attempt of escaping or just simply open the script a it more, not grounding it in a maze full of tempting adventures. The script fails to deliver a class The Great Gatsby, only to drop it in the middle ground, near The Average Gatsby. As near as that, the script continues to suffer an anti-modern film, that is prove through the unnatural way that the character of Carey Mulligan expresses her emphasize dream. Loop holes and goofs that is lonely, and stuck through out the film, letting go important details like how did Gatsby turns into The Great Gatsby, and only rescuing the fail attempt to shot down the it's changeling material with a bit telling more alike from Maguire's character (Nick Carraway), but still, dropping down it's final shifted sail. Misconceiving the ambitious dream of Gatsby in the entire film really disappointed many people in the rest, I don't know, 65 minutes that curves into the boiling point, only to see a burned and rusted plot ending.

On the other side, some of the best needed point, was highlighted personally and creatively. It locked a figuratively person Gatsby into a whole new level of attempt based on the incredible performance as a mysterious billionaire by Leonardo DiCaprio. I won't be too surprise if I see him in the Oscar nominations board. And to many others, the performance of Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and some bit of Isla Fisher, deserves praise and awards nominations, especially the normal and unsettle career of the writer Nick Carrway, through the splendid performance by Spider-Man Tobey Maguire deserves standing ovation and a Golden Globe nomination. This could likely help the post career of Maguire as not being Spider-Man. And, I will have to give some applause to the dazzling visuals that Baz Luhrmann brings to the film. The film changes tones time after time is also a positive side that can be said.

The film can still be an entertain work of art, but don't be ambitious, and don't go if you want to see an Oscar material film. 52/100.