After reading it my first year in college and being completely mesmerized, I wasn't completely thrilled with the 1974 version (critics agreed). Mia Farrow's performance was a bit over the top, but the movie, as a whole, captured the magic, sadness and despair of the book. (Karen Black & Sam Waterston were the standout performances.) But this? I could barely watch it all in one sitting, it was that bad. Poorly acted. Poorly representative of the book, and rap and modern music? It is just pure, disrespectful garbage. DiCaprio's performance was a joke and totally unbelievable. He obviously never read the book, or he was completely unable to glean any of the emotion or meaning of his character from it. I actually laughed hysterically at how poor his performance was at times. The only saving grace of this movie (or the reason for the single star) was Carey Mulligan's performance. While I don't think she portrayed Daisy correctly in any way (not fragile enough), she is always a joy to watch. And to IMDB, if you are worried about "spoilers" with regard to The Great Gatsby? I realize it's on every title, but if you don't know the story by now, that's a very sad testament to this great piece of literature. It certainly was greatly disrespected by this director and TPTB who made this travesty. Fitzgerald is spinning in his grave.

One of the best movie of Leonardo DiCaprio. The Great Gatsby is one of my best film i ever seen.

Enjoyed this one, an adaption of the classic novel following Toby Maguire as aspiring writer Nick Caraway. I liked Toby's narration and how the story was told from his perspective after he moves next door to aloof millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). The two from a friendship... of sorts as Gatsby throws ever elaborate parties in the hope of rekindling his romance with Nick's unhappily married cousin Daisy. While these celebrations are spectacular some of the dancing/party scenes went on too long.It's a visually stunning film with glamorous costumes and lavish production design, to the degree that it looks almost artificial or cartoony at times especially the New York scenery/bridge sections.I liked the music (Jay Z ) even if it was jarring because it is so far removed from the period this is set in. Toby's character while, yes meant to be an observer actually got to be a bit creepy as he is always lurking around watching with no real development on his part -flat.Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic as Jay Gatsby, displaying mystery, ego, madness, shy, nervous, longing and ultimately sad and lost. Joel Edgerton, also impressive as was Jason Clarke as George, a scene stealer I'd never head of before.

Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is an extravagant anachronistic stage bound spectacle that is glorious in 3D. It is loud, noisy and brash just like one of Jay Gatsby's weekend parties.F Scott Fitzgerald's great American novel is given a modernist twist but the moral centre remains as represented by Nick Carraway's (Tobey McGuire) narration whom unfolds the story of the vile people around him with only Gatsby having some decency left.The tale is of the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) who have moved to be near his old flame Daisy (Carey Mulligan) in 1920s New York. Jay was once a poor boy who went off to fight in the Great War. He is now wealthy and made up tales about himself. Is he from a wealthy family, an Oxford man or a bootlegger? He throws parties to get near to Daisy, rekindle his lost love and he brings Nick to the fold because he is Daisy's cousin.Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton) a vile man who cheats on his wife, he brags, he lies and has crackpot theories of the superiority of the white man. He also has money of the old kind, inherited.There is an interesting cameo from Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby's ally who has human molars as a tie pin and who never accurately gives the impression that Gatsby could be a gentleman.Maybe DiCaprio overdoes the 'Old Sport' line and is in some ways is less aloof than Robert Redford from the 1974 version. However Redford's reticence gave his Gatsby a mystical quality that DiCaprio could not quiet capture here.