The Great Gatsby (2013)

- Jay Gatsby is no Charles Foster Kane

Baz Luhrmann starts this fifth film adaptation of the hugely prestigious novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald with velocity and excitement but can't maintain any of it as all curiosity gradually decreases after the first act.

Jay Gatsby, a young millionaire in the 1920s/30s, invites to parties at his mansion. High society is regularly surging to this place enjoying the extravagant festival even though noone of them seems to actually know Gatsby himself who is leading a reclusive life and is hiding alone in his fortress most of the year. There is a lot of gossip about the rich gentleman and some may even claim Gatsby doesn't exist at all. Still all guests are getting in over their head and let themselves go in these nights when the rich are celebrating themselves.

Prohibition and ecomomic crisis provide a backdrop for the film and shows a society on the edge. It's absurd to see people indulge in all the luxury and exuberance while everything is going downhill. Away from their glamourous houses the city is dark and dirty. Caught in between the system is Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). Though related to a wealthy family, the poor guy lives alone in a small house right next door to Gatsby's residence.
One day his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) makes a visit and persuades him to go to the party with her. This night will change Nick's life when he shakes hand with Mr. Gatsby himself for the first time. He becomes Gatby's close friend and probably his only friend.

The film is told in flashback. When we meet Nick at the beginning of the film he is alcoholic and exhausted, obsessed by the person of Jay Gatsby. As close as he was him he couldn't quite figure out what had driven him. For his psychotheripist he writes his story down to clear his mind.

It's this premise that provides the interest for the film. Who is Jay Gatsby? At first we only get hints and rumors. We may catch a glimpse of Gatsby through a window from outside his house. But once the prominent host reveals himself the film pretty quickly runs out of steam. From here Gatsby plays it pretty straight. There is not enough ambivalence to him to really make him interesting.

From the second act on it is primarily a love story between Gatsby and Daisy with Nick playing the negotiator who sets everything up for the insecure millionaire. But just before Gatsby's desires are fulfilled, Daisy's fiancé is bringing it all to pieces when he's questioning Gatsby's noble motivation.

A problem is also that Nick as the narrator of the story always stays outside of the conflict. His peculiar relationship to Gatsby is compelling in the beginning, since he is the only one the isolated man opens up to. But as the movie progresses Nick is pushed more and more aside when the film focuses on the love triangle. From a very distance he observes and reflects Gatsby's behaviour and his eventual failure. But he doesn't really contribute a lot to the drama nor does he prevent the film from falling into romantic cornball territory in the second half.

I'm kind of caught in the middle with this one. It's not bad but certainly not the party everyone will talk about for years to come. If you've read the novel or have seen a different version of this, proposedly the Robert Redford one, there is no need to see it. If not, you may wanna try it but don't expect something overly exquisite. Nick Carraways conclusion is that Gatsby was a great man. Maybe. All I know is that the movie isn't so great. If there is one lesson to be learned here, it is in short: Money can't buy you love.

TRAILER:
Watch the Trailer for "The Great Gatsby" on Youtube