The Great Gatsby

by Tyler Darke

      I have to begin by saying that I have never read the book in which this movie is based. I tried to, since it was required reading for a high school English class, but I couldn't get into it. However, don't let that turn you away from reading the book. I am a very visual person, and few books are able to catch my attention. From what I've heard, it's an excellent book for those who connect with it. Anyways, that said, I did not know the complete story before watching the movie. I only had a basic understanding of the plot and characters.

      I was extremely excited for The Great Gatsby to come out, especially after seeing the cast selections. To people who know me, it is no secret that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of my favorite actors. I was hoping his performance in this movie would be deserving of an Academy Award, and wow...it sure was.

      I always expect excellence from DiCaprio, but his portrayal of Jay Gatsby went beyond this expectation. This was, in my opinion, the best performance of his career so far, and it would be incredibly hard to top it, although I think Leo is up for the challenge. He brought every detail about this character to life so beautifully, all you could do was be amazed and drawn into his story. It was a depth of character that I can only compare to the brilliance of the great Anthony Hopkins' performance in Silence of the Lambs (one of my favorites). DiCaprio showed a similar level of brilliance as an actor that was living and breathing his character seamlessly. I could go on for days about his performance, but I think I've gotten my point across.

      With such a dominating protagonist, you might expect some of the supporting characters to be overshadowed, but this was not the case. Let's start with Tobey Maguire, everyone's favorite Spiderman (well maybe not everyone's...but he should be). I was really excited to see him in a big movie like this, because I've always been impressed by him as an actor. I'm happy to say that he did not disappoint as Nick Carraway, friend of Gatsby and cousin of Daisy Buchanan. He was also our narrator in this film; a deviation from the original story. He presented a character caught in an awkward position while trying to be a good friend and cousin in the middle of a romantic connection. Maguire showed the vulnerability of Carraway while still showing, at times, his strength and dedication. This character analysis is getting a big long, but I have to mention that Carey Mulligan was incredible as Daisy Buchanan and she deserves a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

      I thought the greatest strength of this film was the incredible cast, but I have to give credit to a couple other aspects as well. The music choices were flawless. Knowing this film was set in the 1920s, I was expecting to hear a lot of old, tired music that would be hard to relate to. I was so happy that the music chosen was not old or tired at all. There was a great mix of contemporary music and covers of older songs. It made the movie much more relatable, which I really appreciated. The costumes and art design also deserve mentioning. They were both perfectly done, from the lavish parties to each and every character's outfits.

      I think it's about time to wrap this up. The Great Gatsby is by far my favorite movie of the year so far. I am confident that my choice for Best Actor this year will absolutely be Leonardo DiCaprio. I truly hope this is the year he wins it for the first time, as it is long overdue for him and this performance was incredibly special. As of now, this movie is also my choice for Best Picture and I doubt that will change. If you haven't seen it yet, you're missing out on an incredible film, Old Sport. I can't wait to see it again and add it to my collection. 10/10