Writer: Asha Gizelle M.

Writer Ratings:
Overall: 4.0 Out of 5
Cast: 3.5 Out of 5
Plot: 3.5 Out of 5
Effects: 3.5 Out of 5
Cinematography: 4.0 Out of 5

Watch this if you liked: "Moulin Rouge" & "Romeo + Juliet"

Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) arrives in New York to be a bonds salesman. His filthy rich and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) who throws extravagant parties is seen looking over the waters as though trying to reach out to the unattainable. When Nick visits his cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), and her husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), he learns from Daisy's friend Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki) that Tom has a mistress called, Myrtle (Isla Fisher). Upon invitation to another one of Jay Gatsby's wild party, a 'bro-mance' between Nick and Gatsby brews and then there follows a series of attempts to re-unite Gatsby with Daisy, the former lovers of 5 years ago.

The biggies on board complements the Gatsby deal. The Baz Luhrmann-Craig Armstrong director-composer duo are no strangers for producing authentic scores paired with a visual spectacle, especially if you recall their "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge". The tonal quality rendered by rapper Jay-Z, meshes well with other noted artistes such as Beyonce, Andre 3000, will.i.am, Fergie, Gotye and Lana Del Rey. The music used in the movie is so phenomenal that you will thank your ears for it as "The Great Gatsby" is fine-tuned into a great mix of both audio and visual delights. Rap and Dubstep in a movie set in the Roaring Twenties might make you feel at home as though 1922 wasn't too long ago or it could cause you to wonder if it was necessary, but then again, it well-represents a parallel between that era and now.

In case you were wondering, the grandeur of the movie is largely sponsored by jeweler Tiffany & Co and fashion brand, Prada. Tiffany's lent their sophistication of diamond wonders where the jewels, pearls and tiaras accentuated the movie's grandiosity accessorizing Daisy Buchanan, while Prada contributed the "chandelier" dresses, whereas the rest of the costumes were just as elaborate; thanks to their 1920-ish physiques.

Initially there was a bone of contention between the female lead Carey Mulligan and a line-up of Hollywood actresses namely Amanda Seyfried, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman for the role of the aristocratic beauty, Daisy Buchanan. Amitabh Bachchan, a legend widely known as Big B in Bollywood, makes a cameo appearance as Meyer Wolfsheim.

What makes the movie experience a little inimitable are the few distinctions between the book and the silver screen interpretation. The on-screen Nick Carraway's sexuality was repressed where he seemed to be much of an ingenuous heterosexual than that of the novel's Nick. The look of pure awe and astonishment isn't quite what one would get from Carraway when scouring the pages of Fitzgerald's Opus.

Leonardo DiCaprio's role as Jay Gatsby is truly remarkable as the talented actor seamlessly fits into the role like a glove and as audiences anticipate the moment he finally appears on screen, they will truly be blown away by his charming presence that is apparent throughout the whole film. Tobey Maguire in the film was an absolute 'Harmless Humphrey' who reveals wide-eyed excitement by Jay's lavish shindigs and his on-screen presence was tilted to being a third party who is no more than an onlooker. But in the almost 100-year-old novel, Jay Gatsby and company are the secondary characters while Nick Carraway dominates as the main character since it's in first person, narrative style.

The relationship between Nick and Jordan (Elizabeth Debicki) felt a little neglected and the audiences would not feel the love in the air. In the film, Jordan could only be seen as an information repository who knows all about Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan).

If you are a sucker for Moulin Rouge-like-burlesque movies, tragic love stories, period films or simply because you are a diehard fan of more than just one cast member of the movie, "The Great Gatsby" shall be the promising movie event of the year full of majestic cinematography, melancholy plot and life resonating quotes.

This film is also available in 3D format, but it is not recommended as the crisp cinematography quality is compromised for unnecessary 3D effects.

Cinema Online, 16 May 2013