The Great Gatsby

So, The Great Gatsby, what did you think of it old sport?

So I think I am now in the right mind to give a proper judgment to the newest version of The Great Gatsby. I have now seen the movie twice and am almost to the point where I am not overwhelmed by feels….almost. The hardest part, though, is giving one of these things without giving spoilers. Spoilers are such inane little things, particularly when it comes to reviews. Such as I can be like, "It was incredible!" But if you asked me why I probably couldn't tell you easily because the reasons why I like things are spoilers! Does that make sense? It's frustrating. But alas, I am trying. I really think that it’s a soft spot I need to harden up in my writing skills, how to explain things without really explaining them, you see? So here it is--my general overview of The Great Gatsby.

So first off, it was incredible; oen of the best book to movie adaptations I have ever seen and believe me when I say I've seen a whole lot of them. What captured me right off was the cinematography; it took the story above and beyond what I could have ever imagined in the book. The Gatsby parties were amazing, full or colors and pizzazz, and the houses in the film were just breathtaking. Gatsby's place itself was so grand, like the castle I always imagined living in as I grew up. The acting was superb in all parts, but particularly in Gatsby and…wait for it…John Buchanan. Leo stole my heart in this film, as he does in everything, and his portrayal of Gatsby was beautiful, because I was literally in tears for the last fifteen minutes of the film, on both occasions that I watched it. But Joel Edgerton, the actor who played Tom, really impressed me. He just became Tom, and in that I mean his acting made me despise his character in every single way possible, even more than in the book. And the soundtrack, the soundtrack to the film was incredible. I have literally become obsessed with it; the music put soul and feel to the film. And yes there was rap music; hardly a single piece in the whole film was related to the true sense of the 20's at all. But it really fit well, and it's hard to describe without revealing spoilers. But believe me when I say, it has been several years since I've heard a soundtrack pair so well with a film.  The rest of the production, the costuming, the makeup, the script, were all flawlessly done. It kept true to the book for the most part and what little changes they did make only enhanced the story, not took away from it. In a way I can understand some of the bad reviews, as Gatsby currently sits at a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. But at the same time I don't understand them. People who are fans of the book, who are fans of the true heart of Gatsby, and believe in the hope of the green light, will enjoy this film. People who look towards this as an expectation of boring, don't see the true breadth and concept of this film, will not like it. It's a simple story really, a story of a very hopeful man.

EDIT: I did have a whole other section to this one, one that contained spoilers; I decided to cut it out. Limited writing will train me up.

Fin.

-Keshia