The Great Gatsby (2013)

I would probably call Elvis something of a missed opportunity where the cast had so much potential but director, Baz Luhrmann, somehow let his style reduce the film to a more shallow montage of the singer's life. Luhrmann is certainly great at putting on a show but he missed the mark at delivering what could have been the definitive biopic. 10 years prior to release of Elvis, Luhrmann had his sights on another big extravaganza with adapting The Great Gatsby, which I saw in the cinema and only just rewatched recently. Would his direction be better suited to this or am I just not gelling with his approach?

Adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel that was set in the 1920s when it was written, the story follows a WW1 hero use his new found success to make a name for himself with big, glitzy parties in Long Island with the sole hope of rekindling his former lover who now resides across the bay from him. The story is told though from the perspective of his humble neighbour, who is the cousin to Gatsby's desire, and so we see the world through his eyes as embarks on a wild journey amongst the wealthy residents of his neighbourhood during the roaring 1920s.

Much like Gatsby, Luhrmann spares no expense and creates a wildly vivid experience that is bursting with action and colour as he brings 1920s New York to life through excellent production and costume design that would see the film win several Oscars. But Luhrmann also manages use enough restraint in the first half to let the story and drama unfold in a way that should capture the attention of most viewers even if you haven't seen his work before. Unfortunately, and I remember thinking this in 2013, the film is exhaustively long and the hyper energy around it all does start to wear thin in the second half. I appreciate what he's trying to do but the payoff as the drama comes to blows falls flat in places.

Thankfully, the cast are all very good but I can't help feel Leonardo DiCaprio is lacking a screenplay worthy of his talents. The same year he starred in The Wolf of Wall Street and Django Unchained the year before but this role unfortunately feels too diluted for him to shine and so we are left with a film not quite up to the some of its parts, just as I felt with Elvis. Tobey Maguire is perfectly cast though as the innocent neighbour caught in the romantic conflict and so it is a shame Luhrmann was on to something here. 

Not to be too hard on the film; there is plenty to enjoy and I would rank this higher than Elvis most likely due to this having its foundations set on one of America's best novels. When all the moving parts come together, there is an enjoyable film but it is just spread too thinly across 140 minutes to truly satisfy.