The Great Gatsby (2013)

Director: Bar Luhrmann

Rated: PG-13

Length: 142 min.

From the director who brought you Moulin Rouge, Bar Luhrmann once again outdoes himself with the mise-en-scene of this film. With lavish costume design and extraordinary sets, The Great Gatsby is just a flash of vibrant colors and modern soundtrack with no narrative structure to stand on. Now don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack; however, the modern music did not play well with the 1920s scenery. This is simply the tale of high society’s obsession with materialism and its effect on two specific love affairs.  Although Leonardo DiCaprio (Jay Gatsby) and Carey Mulligan (Daisy Buchanan) are both magnificent actors, the performance by Tobey Maguire (Nick Carraway) as the type cast pathetic loser, once again confirmed his place in mediocrity. This film was far too long and could have been cut by at least 30 minutes while still telling the same illustrious tale. It’s unfortunate that this story was not told in a more believable fashion because this is a story we all remember reading in our adolescence, and the nostaglia brought forth by that memory is unforgettable. This was everything I thought it'd be, and the time spent on the visual appeal of the film was simply overshadowed by its poor dialogue and unnecessary awkwardness. No need to rush to the theater for this summer dud.