# Saw Great Gatsby tonight



## spirits (May 9, 2013)

Well, I just got back from a preview showing of the movie.  I taught the novel in my English class this year and won two tickets in a promotion.  I loved the novel, and was dreading seeing the beautiful prose destroyed in a hyperkinetic version of a 3 d movie interpretation.  Watching the trailers did nothing to quell my foreboding mindset.
Well, it is a flawed masterpiece, IMHO.  The first 20 minutes were like watching a cocaine fueled, ADHD series of frantic scene churning.  If you have seen the trailers then you know what I mean.  
But then, a miracle happened.  3 wonderful actors and a director who loves good writing emerged and I had my breath taken away so many times I lost count.  The movie was better than the book over all and there have not been too many movies I could say that about.
I don't want to give the story away, but Leonardo was a great Jay, Toby Maguire was a wonderful Nick (and I have a secret crush on Jack McCoy, did not think anyone could come close to his performance in the 74 version) he held his own and did not supplant the other version, but breathed life into a crucial character and made it his own.  Daisy was beautiful and etheral, you could see where a man would sell his soul to be with her.  All the other actors in the movie were just fine. 
I loved the novel and love this movie.  I think if you had not read the novel, you would have enough information so you would not be lost.
I hope the movie does not get lost in hoopla...I know it was heavily promoted.....sometimes that becomes a kiss of death, but in this case I think it was mostly a labor of love by all involved.


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## Egret1986 (May 9, 2013)

*Thank you for your great view.*

I never read the novel, but decided it was a movie that I wanted to see when I saw the trailers and the actors who were starring in it.

I'm really looking forward to going and seeing it even more now.


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## lvhmbh (May 9, 2013)

Liz Smith just did a review that will certainly harm the movie as she said it was awful!


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## spirits (May 9, 2013)

*Great Gatsby in public domain*

I found the novel on line in the public domain this summer.  It is not a long novel, but like anything good, enjoyed in a leisurely manner.  Read the book and then see the movie.
In today's paper, there was an article about how Toby Mcguire and Leonardo Di Caprio have been close friends and supporters in a competitive cutthroat industry for over 10 years.  IMHO this close friendship is the best part of the movie.  It is obvious that the relationship between the two men is key to the movie.


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## spirits (May 9, 2013)

*Here is a more generous review*

Here is one review that explains my thoughts more clearly than I can (;



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kia-m...ws_b_3239966.html?ref=topbar#slide=more271073


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## spirits (May 9, 2013)

*Coming up next*

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/08/leonardo-dicaprio-hamlet-baz-luhrmann_n_3238033.html



And perhaps Macbeth, Othello, ect. (;  Oh Boy Oh Boy

Is there any other director capable of doing this?  Baz cannot be the only one who is willing to take a chance on something other than graphic novels and comic books.  But as long as he is willing to take great literature as his inspiration, I will be buying tickets to his movies.


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## Ridewithme38 (May 9, 2013)

When i saw the previews for the movie, i remembered that it was one of the books i 'avoided' reading during school....So decided to download the 'audio version' of the book(i have an addiction to audible).  I was iffy on the movie, sometimes things don't translate well between novel and film, but, I'm only about halfway through the audio book and the book has really made me look forward to downloading the movie.

I'm glad to hear you guys liked the movie!


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## PStreet1 (May 9, 2013)

I'll be looking for whether the director manages to keep an awareness that it's really Nick's book and Nick's learning that he's "30, five years too old to lie to [him]self and call it honor."  If the movie doesn't keep that awareness, then it will be all spectacle--but I'll have to see it; can't miss the movie of one of my favorite books of all time.


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## spirits (May 9, 2013)

*The movie kept the awareness*

That was my concern.....I think the movie not only did justice to the novel, it expanded the literary element.


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## Egret1986 (May 9, 2013)

*I wasn't sure what to do with my Mom for Mother's Day*



spirits said:


> That was my concern.....I think the movie not only did justice to the novel, it expanded the literary element.



She had mentioned last week that she wanted to see the movie.  I didn't realize it was opening this weekend.  When I saw your post and great review, I knew what me and my Mom could do.  She called earlier and asked, "so what are we doing for Mother's Day?"  When I told her, she squealed with delight.  Thanks for your post!  

I think I'll read the book next.  (Although I said that about Life of Pi after seeing that movie.  Checked the book out at the library, but never got around to reading it.)


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## eal (May 9, 2013)

Thanks for posting your review - I am looking forward to seeing the movie, instead of avoiding it for the very reasons you felt at first.


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## hypnotiq (May 9, 2013)

Going to a movie and expecting it to be as good as the book is a foolish venture IMO.  Movies would need to be 4-5hrs long.

I swear 90% of "movie reviewers" are complete morons. I could give countless examples.

I have a very simple, fair formula for movies...

I paid $10 for the movie.  Was I entertained for my $10?


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## Passepartout (May 9, 2013)

Before this review, I looked forward to this movie. Still do. 

Jim


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## PStreet1 (May 10, 2013)

Now I've seen it, too.  I'd have to go more with the review in the Wall Street Journal today:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324244304578472832378366420.html

However, if you've never read the book, I think it is not a failure as a movie, a stand-alone look at Gatsby's dream.  In my opinion, it misses the mark in too many ways to go over as a representation of the book, but as a movie, I think it has some things going for it--and there are some parts of some scenes that are really well done.


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## Patri (May 10, 2013)

spirits said:


> I don't want to give the story away, but Leonardo was a great Jay, Toby Maguire was a wonderful Nick (and I have a secret crush on Jack McCoy, did not think anyone could come close to his performance in the 74 version.



I have also had a crush on Sam Waterston since the original.


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## Luanne (May 10, 2013)

lvhmbh said:


> Liz Smith just did a review that will certainly harm the movie as she said it was awful!



Not everyone takes her opinion, or that of many reviewers, as the gospel.  Many of us prefer to judge ourselves.


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## fillde (May 10, 2013)

hypnotiq said:


> Going to a movie and expecting it to be as good as the book is a foolish venture IMO.  Movies would need to be 4-5hrs long.
> 
> I swear 90% of "movie reviewers" are complete morons. I could give countless examples.
> 
> ...



I go to the dollar theater and if the movie  , I say thank god I didn't pay 10 dollars.  :rofl:


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## MULTIZ321 (May 11, 2013)

In a Gaudy Theme Park, Jay-Z Meets J-Gatz - by Maureen Dowd/ Sunday Review - The Opinion Pages/ The New York Times.com

Excellent review by Maureen Dowd. 

 Sad that when Fitzgerald died of a heart attack at age 44, his funeral only attracted 30 people and required hired pallbearers.






 - Matt Hart/Warner Brothers Pictures
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby in the latest rendering of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic. 


Richard


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## lvhmbh (May 11, 2013)

Not implying that I even take her opinion as gospel - just commenting!  Whew


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## MULTIZ321 (May 13, 2013)

Will the Real Great Gatsby Please Stand Up? - Sarah Laskow/ Arts & Culture/ Smithsonian Magazine.com


F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn’t resist putting his own life into his novels, but where’s the line between truth and fiction?

Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (May 13, 2013)

It took me a few tries to get the edit corrected. I don't have my PC available, only my tablet. It's much harder to insert a hyperlink properly with a touch screen. Much easier with a keyboard and a mouse.


Richard


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## Talent312 (May 13, 2013)

hypnotiq said:


> I have a very simple, fair formula for movies...
> I paid $10 for the movie.  Was I entertained for my $10?



IMHO, a movies must have three things to be worth $10...
1. A chase scene involving destruction of vehicles or spacecraft.
2. Big explosions or lots of gunfire.
3. A fine-looking damsel in distress.

Absent those things, it's a "chick-flick" and worth $10 to my DW.
.


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## MULTIZ321 (May 13, 2013)

A Glitzy Gatsby - by Matthew Reeg/ Letter to the Editor/ The New York Times.com


Reader's response to Maureen Dowd.


Richard


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## Patri (May 14, 2013)

My 18-year-old son thought it was great.


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## spirits (May 14, 2013)

*Wow*

Did he do it for a school assignment?  Seriously, any 18 year old male who appreciates Great Gatsby, is pretty special.  My son took up the novel when he was in high school and did not think he wanted to see this version. ( He is an old man of 30) and pretty set in his ways.  Trying to convince him to see it with me the next time he comes to town...


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## pwrshift (May 14, 2013)

I'll probably wait for it to come out on Netflix.    As a kid I tried to read it but was so bored didn't finish.

Brian


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## spirits (May 15, 2013)

*Well researched article*

While I was watching the movie, there were moments where something interesting was said or portrayed.  It went by too quickly for me to really pay much attention but I was intriqued by some of the director's choices.  Here is an article that goes into detail on how much research was done by the directors to not just stay faithful to the novel but incorporate historical elements of Fitzgerald into the movie.  For literary buffs only.I really enjoyed reading the article because it gave me more background into the writer and his life.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/baz-luhrmann-great-gatsby_n_3265327.html


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## rickandcindy23 (May 15, 2013)

Really enjoyed this version of Gatsby, but it really is Toby and Leonardo who make it great.  Toby is so unassuming; wise in the ways of the world but not apparently wise.  He seems rather innocent.   

Leonardo's parties were much more ostentatious than Redford's parties in the older movie.  I always liked the old movie, but this one shines.  Mia Farrow was not as beautiful as this Daisy.  

The castle was incredible, and the way Jay lived his life was so over the top, he was truly a man who took advantage of prohibition.  Make a "drug" illegal, and there is a way for someone to capitalize on it.  How else could a man of little means end up with a castle?  

Leonardo was believable as a war hero, too.  I never thought of Redford like that.  I see every movie of Leonardo's.  Some are disappointing..........this one not at all.  

Loved it.


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## hypnotiq (May 15, 2013)

Saw it. Liked it. I got my $10 worth.


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## spirits (May 15, 2013)

*Critics hate the movie*

I usually agree with critics but not this time.......3 of my students went to the movie last weekend. 17 years old.  One boy and 2 girls.  They loved the movie and I think they have the right to see a movie that is filmed in such a way that it recognizes that they too have the right to see themselves and their interests represented in film.  And not just in action movies ripped from graphic novels and cartoons.
This is an adult book that will appeal to the younger generation and perhaps someone like me who spends a great deal of time with young people.  I am glad they saw something of value in the movie because I sure did.  
So, even though I am a baby boomer I recognize that elements of today should be included in modern film that will stand the test of time.  Great Gatsby is one of them, JMHO


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## MULTIZ321 (May 16, 2013)

The Great Gatsby: Now (and Then) a Major Motion Picture by Robert S. Birchard/ American Film/ from The American Film Institute/ afi.com

For a novel that sold poorly on its 1925 publication, F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" has enjoyed a remarkable afterlife. 








Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (May 16, 2013)

The Serious Superficiality of The Great Gatsby by Joshua Rothman/ Page-Turner/ The NewYorker.com

and for some, sometimes a cigar is a cigar, is a cigar...


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (May 16, 2013)

The Stepsister Novels of Willa Cather and F. Scott Fitzgerald by Benjamin Lytal/ Page-Turner/ The New Yorker.com

Excellent additional material for your book-club discussions











Photograph of Willa Cather New York Times Co./Getty. Photograph of F. Scott Fitzgerald by Carl Van Vechten/Library of Congress.


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (May 16, 2013)

The Lost 1926 "Gatsby" Movie by Richard Brody/ The Front Row - Notes on the Cinema/ The New Yorker.com

Be sure to watch the 1926 Great Gatsby trailer.


Richard


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## johnstephen1 (May 18, 2013)

This was an awesome movies, watched last night with my friends. We enjoyed this movie a lot.


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## DazedandConfused (May 18, 2013)

I enjoyed the movie, thought the 3D was not needed, and did not care too much for the soundtrack.

I was expecting (and wanting more) 1920 big band era music, not modern day 
Rap music.

Other than that, it was a good movie.


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## MULTIZ321 (May 19, 2013)

When F. Scott Fitzgerald Judged Gatsby by its Cover - by Jimmy Stamp/ Design Decoded/ Blogs/ SmithsonianMag.com

It’s one of the most recognizable book covers in the history of American literature: two sad female eyes and bright red lips adrift in the deep blue of a night sky, hovering ominously above a skyline that glows like a carnival. Evocative of sorrow and excess, this haunting image has become so inextricably linked to The Great Gatsby that it still adorns the cover of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece 88 years after its debut. This iconic work of art was created by Spanish artist Francis Cugat.





left: Francis Cugat’s original gouache painting for The Great Gatsby. right: a first edition of the book (image: USC)






 An early sketch by Francis Cugat for the dust jacket to The Great Gatsby (image: USC)






 Early sketches by Francis Cugat for the cover of The Great Gatsby (images: USC)


Richard


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## dioxide45 (May 20, 2013)

DazedandConfused said:


> I enjoyed the movie, thought the 3D was not needed, and did not care too much for the soundtrack.
> 
> I was expecting (and wanting more) 1920 big band era music, not modern day
> Rap music.
> ...



We liked the movie also but did like the soundtrack. While it was more modern rap music, it was done in a way that made you believe that could have some from the era the movie was set in. I think they did well with making the music fit the movie in it's modern form.


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## bogey21 (May 20, 2013)

My favorite movie of all time is Casablanca.  I have watched it many times.  If they came out with a remake, I wouldn't go.  I feel the same about almost all remakes.

George


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## spirits (May 20, 2013)

*The best one is yet to come*

I for one do not think the definitive Great Gatsby has been made yet.  However, this one is better than all the others And I think that if we just don't take movies too seriously, this version has a lot going for it.  I personally love the music, it speaks to a younger generation and if they go read the novel because of the movie then that is a bonus.
PS.  There are very few movies that I can see with my grown children and enjoy......ooops, almost forgot.... they made me watch the Rings trilogy and Life with Pi with them and I quite liked it.  I plan on returning the favor when this DVD comes out.


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## dioxide45 (Aug 23, 2013)

Is anyone anxiously awaiting the DVC/BluRay release this Tuesday? This is one of the few movies that we will be buying on BluRay release day.


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## spirits (Aug 24, 2013)

*Me Me*

I saw the movie advertised and we have a Blu ray!!!! I am in heaven.  Will make a great vegan dinner for my kids and something wonderful for my DH and myself.....slow cooked ribs on the BBQ and corn on the cob will be on the menu and then GATSBY!!!!!  Cannot wait.  Family movie night coming up.


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## dioxide45 (Sep 1, 2013)

I have now watched the movie twice in the past three days. Purchased on Tuesday but didn't watch it until Friday and then again today. I haven't watch a movie more than once in this short of a span since I was a kid watching the Wizard of Oz pretty much on loop.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 1, 2013)

I watched it again two weeks ago on my way to Kauai.  Alaska had it on the digital player.  I enjoyed it even more the second time, even on that tiny screen.  

Nick still seems very innocent to me in my second watching.  Perfect role for Tobey.  He is wide-eyed, able to jump into the rich lifestyle of Gatsby.  He was entranced with every minute he spent with Gatsby.  He wanted to be him.  Definite admiration.  

Contrast Nick's strange time with Tom and Myrtle in the apartment booze fest (orgy).  He was dazed and drunk throughout most of it.  

I was still shocked by the end, even knowing it was coming.  That makes for a good movie, when you watch again, enjoy the entire thing, and then still feel surprised by the last few minutes.  

And how ironic is that ending?  Sad, because the nouveau rich, war-hero guy became the pawn to the old-money guy.


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## PStreet1 (Sep 2, 2013)

I objected to the beginning with Nick writing from a psychiatric hospital because I don't see Nick as an innocent; I see him as the only person--other than Jordan--who sees things clearly.  That's probably why I didn't like Tobey in the part.

Of all the characters in the novel, Nick is the least in need of psychiatric aid:  he has recognized the hollowness of the life around him, and by his birthday, he is "30, 5 years too old to lie to ... [himself] and call it honor."  He has already shouted across the lawn that "they're a rotten crowd."  He has recognized Jordan's fundamental emptiness and attempted to be straightforward and honest with her, qualities that are wasted on her; she merely notes that he is her "bad driver" who was unable to stay on the predictable side of the road and thus allow her to continue her careless ways unscathed.  

Nick writes two years after the incidents of that summer, and we know from the beginning that Nick (and Jordan) are people who have never had a dream; they are people who deal with reality; there is no dream to soften the edges.  Everyone else has, or had, a dream, and all those with a dream, except Gatsby, must deal with the loss of the dream and the emptiness that follows.  Gatsby "turned out all right" and was "gorgeous" because he died in the dream, though Nick suspects that "even he must have known that the call would never come." While seeing Gatsby's glow from the possession of a dream, Gatsby still represents "everything for which ... [Nick] has unaffected scorn".  By the time he writes, Nick understands his father's saying "a sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth."  Nick is our guide; he sees reality clearly.  He doesn't need a psychaitric hospital.

For me, that weakened the movie.  Other things, particularly some of the scenes that depict how Daisy became Gatsby's dream, are really remarkably good.


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## spirits (Sep 2, 2013)

*Watched the movie last night*

Well, I could not get my kids to watch the movie (they are 30 and 31 and being boys really really hate Baz Lehrman movies) but my husband watched it with me last night.  He thought it might be slightly better than a root canal, and whined all the way down into the basement,  but he wound up quite enjoying it.
We have a great sound system at home and with the speakers turned up loud the music was wonderful.  The sound paid homage to the '20's but had today's nuances to make it really relevant.  The 3 d was not as distracting on the home tv as in the theatre.  Just the right touch of computer generation visuals.  I actually enjoyed watching it a second time and I think it will become one of my classic favorites.....


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