The Great Gatsby Review: Opulent and Modest

“The Great Gatsby follows would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits.”

As it happens with every movie adapted from a treasured work of literature, the challenge to make it faithful to the original book while at the same time entertaining for a wider audience is daunting. More so if we refer to a period piece. There’s no exception for the newest version of “The Great Gatsby” based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The movie’s strength lies in the perfectionism of the visual artistry with which the 20’s are represented, and manages successfully to convey the contradictions of an era where the upper class enjoyed an outstanding welfare state while the poor working class’ hopes faded away in the routine despair of survival.

Between the two worlds, the exception is the temperament of a man, interpreted by Leonardo DiCaprio, in his quest to recover the love of his life to the point of obsession and madness. Gatsby’s persona is supposed to be the different and refreshing element/character in the movie, as seen by the eyes of the narrator, Nick Carraway, interpreted by Tobey Maguire who is intrigued by his neighbor from beginning to end.

Unfortunately, and despite his soothing voice and naturally flowing narration, much of the wonder disappears after we learn who Gatsby is and what he’s after. At that point, any mystery or subtlety in the story plot is replaced by the-ever-so-complicated romantic triangle that yes, as you may predictably assume, ends with tragic consequences.

All the glitter and glamour of those 3D images along with the outstanding soundtrack composed by 21st century artists can’t hide the fact that once the parties are over, the story bends on superficiality and falls flat on its knee. Neither DiCaprio’s obsessive/compulsive interpretation of the flawed hero, a role for which he has a somewhat proven record of playing by now, nor other solid performances by Maguire and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan can save The Great Gatsby from falling short on its greatness. The film is entertaining and technically impressive, but like the rich people of that time it lacks depth behind the shiny facade.