Let's get two things out of the way right off the bat: I am very, very fond of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I think that the new adaptation by Baz Luhrmann looks tremendous.
I'm honestly a little surprised by all the backlash this film is getting, especially in terms of the casting. If Luhrmann had asked me for my personal opinion I could not have picked a more perfect cast.
Leonardo DiCaprio is a proven quantity at this point. He can do gravitas, he can do the breakdown, he can do pretty much everything - when I think about him as Gatsby, I'm reminded of his role in Catch Me If You Can, wherein he plays a character that is both involved in a disastrous downward spiral but is also living a sumptuous life of wealth and the freedom that comes from breaking the law. It's a similar feel to how I read Gatsby, except that Gatsby is older than Frank Abagnale, so his descent is tempered against the fact that he really should know better - but he can't, because he's trapped himself in his own stories and delusions. Appropriately, DiCaprio is older now, older and a better actor. He can handle this, guys. Think of that first shot in the trailer, of Gatsby holding the champagne glass and looking down from his window. That's a man who believes he's controlling the world - until he realizes that he can't.
The other inspiration is Carey Mulligan as Daisy. Daisy is beautiful, ethereal, too young for her place in life, too much of a dreamer, and with too tenuous a grasp on reality. How can anyone look at Mulligan in the trailer and not utterly believe her? From her blond flapper bob down to that last line - "I wanted to do everything in the world with you." I am in love with her already. Even Mulligan's characteristic "two moments from weeping (and she'll probably do it prettier than you)" expression fits in here.
As for the rest of the trailer: it's a visual treat, over-the-top and art directed from here to eternity, but this is the 1920's and we're talking about characters who have no desire to behave themselves. They have too much money, too much time on their hands, and no real sense of personal responsibility. Luhrmann's tone is right on point, with the air full of metallic confetti and a drink in every hand. The story is about a lot of things, but at its most basic it's about the rich behaving badly, and superficially we're definitely getting that here.
I can't wait to see the kind of trouble they'll get in to.
I'm honestly a little surprised by all the backlash this film is getting, especially in terms of the casting. If Luhrmann had asked me for my personal opinion I could not have picked a more perfect cast.
Leonardo DiCaprio is a proven quantity at this point. He can do gravitas, he can do the breakdown, he can do pretty much everything - when I think about him as Gatsby, I'm reminded of his role in Catch Me If You Can, wherein he plays a character that is both involved in a disastrous downward spiral but is also living a sumptuous life of wealth and the freedom that comes from breaking the law. It's a similar feel to how I read Gatsby, except that Gatsby is older than Frank Abagnale, so his descent is tempered against the fact that he really should know better - but he can't, because he's trapped himself in his own stories and delusions. Appropriately, DiCaprio is older now, older and a better actor. He can handle this, guys. Think of that first shot in the trailer, of Gatsby holding the champagne glass and looking down from his window. That's a man who believes he's controlling the world - until he realizes that he can't.
Who can't love that shot?
Perfection.
As for the rest of the trailer: it's a visual treat, over-the-top and art directed from here to eternity, but this is the 1920's and we're talking about characters who have no desire to behave themselves. They have too much money, too much time on their hands, and no real sense of personal responsibility. Luhrmann's tone is right on point, with the air full of metallic confetti and a drink in every hand. The story is about a lot of things, but at its most basic it's about the rich behaving badly, and superficially we're definitely getting that here.
I can't wait to see the kind of trouble they'll get in to.
Because those books don't translate well to film. They just don't. The last one had a great cast too and it still sucked. I want to be excited for this movie. I really do. But previous experience with this genre has made me wary.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "those books?" This genre is historical fiction, and there are plenty of good historical fiction films. If it's a good story, in good hands it'll be good no matter what medium you tell it in - there are no stories that can only be told as books.
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