User blog:Matt Hadick/The Great Gatsby Review Roundup



Expectations have been mixed concerning Baz Luhrmann's take on The Great Gatsby. Many were taken back by the decision from the get-go: conceptually, Luhrman's visually bombastic, style-over-substance approach seemed in conflict with the novel's somber tone. Skeptics were only further confounded by early trailers, which presented Fitzgerald's roaring-twenties through the glitzy lens of modern-day exuberance. Others proved more hopeful, pointing to the the success of Luhrmann's 2001 classic, Moulin Rouge, and the film's strong cast, which includes A-listers like Leonardo Decaprio and Carey Mulligan. Last week's soundtrack preview, available for first listen on NPR, also inspired a bit of hope for the film.

That said, reviews are beginning to surface across the internet and they seem to be more on the negative side of things. Most acknowledge the film as a visual spectacle, applauding its production quality and stylistic bombast, but finding it tonally flat and, in some cases, boring. Many claim it simply doesn't do the original story justice. That said, there are a handful of positive reviews. We've gone ahead and gathered a few positive reviews, a few negative reviews, and a few so-so reviews of The Great Gatsby for your consideration below.



Rene Rodriguez - Miami Herald
3 1/2 of 4 Stars

Excerpt: Given the director’s penchant for visual bombast and the superhero-sized budget at his disposal, it's also surprisingly satisfying (and text-faithful) as a dramatization of F. Scott’s Fitzgerald's classic novel — thanks to stellar work by Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role and Tobey Maguire as his neighbor and only true friend, Nick Carraway.

Richard Roeper Chicago Sun Times
3 1/2 of 4 Stars

Excerpt: Gatsby’s fatal flaw isn’t his grandiose plan. It’s that he never had considered the real-world consequences if the plan worked. This version of “The Great Gatsby” gets that.

Scott Foundas - Variety
No Stars Given

Excerpt: More often, Gatsby feels like a well-rehearsed classic in which the actors say their lines ably, but with no discernible feeling behind them.

Ben Kenigsberg - AV Club
C+

Excerpt: While it gets points for a Sunset Blvd. homage, even the finale goes soft. The movie leaves the sense that, like Gatsby himself, Luhrmann has bought the book without cutting the pages.

Rex Reed - New York Observer
No Stars Given

Excerpt: I love the publicity quotes by Baz Luhrmann stating that his intention was to make an epic romantic vision that is enormous. Also: overwrought, asinine, exaggerated and boring. But in the end, about as romantic as a pet rock.

Peter Travers - Rolling Stone
1 of 4 Stars

Excerpt: Shush. Listen. That's F. Scott Fitzgerald turning in his grave.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-great-gatsby-20130509#ixzz2SuigY8zr Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Joe Morgenstern - The Wall Street Journal
No Stars Given

Excerpt: Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" is a tale told idiotically, full of noise and furor, signifying next to nothing.

Richard Brody - The New Yorker
2 of 5 Stars

Excerpt: The movie conveys the sense of waste but not of what was wasted, of the superfluous but not of excess, and of the phony but not of the gloriously theatre of life. In its reductive way, it not only doesn’t display two opposed ideas; it offers no ideas at all.

Wikian Opinions
What did you think of The Great Gatsby? Loved it! Thought it was okay. Hated it! Haven't seen it yet, but I would. I would never go see that movie! How's about that soundtrack, though? Incredible collection of tunes! It's pretty good. I like a few tracks. Not a fan. I absolutely hated everything about it. Huh? What soundtrack?