The Great Gatsby review – Maguire steals the show

Tobey Maguire steals the show in Baz Luhrmann’s adrenaline fuelled adaptation of The Great Gatsby with a deftly measured performance, allowing Leo DiCaprio to add a peacock flourish to his character.

Nick Carraway leads the audience on this literary journey via flashbacks in this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel.

Chasing his own American Dream on Wall Street Nick, a Yale graduate, unknowingly moves in next door to a mysterious millionaire and across The Bay from his cousin, Daisy where he is drawn into the excessive lifestyle of his New York socialite neighbour.

The digital backdrop of 1920s America that litters the film is dream-like and vivid and is reminiscent of Lurhmann’s cinema, especially Moulin Rouge.

They remove a sense of physicality and reality from the film, but serve well in telling the story from the present, leaving the 1920s firmly in the past.

The film doesn’t transport viewers to the 1920s, but paints a dramatic and nostalgic picture of an era which demands to be represented with bells and whistles.

Leonardo DiCaprio is great as the elusive Jay Gatsby and the anticipation surrounding his arrival really pays off when he finally reveals himself.

Tobey Maguire portrays a naive Nick Carraway who is likeable, but lost as he is lured into the chaos.

Carey Mulligan plays Daisy delicately and elegantly and the scenes between her and Gatsby are the most beautiful, intimate and believable.

The soundtrack is jarringly juxtaposed with the visuals and at times slightly distracting, works well in delivering the roaring twenties to a modern, young audience.

The wealth of talent that came together for the album is evident in the intricately woven contemporary music and 1920s arrangements.

The film’s 3D, whilst well done and immersive, is not truly needed to tell the story. Luhrhmann deals intelligently with the novel’s themes but the subtleties of the book are lost in translation.

The story is told as a glitzy, over the top caricature of itself, but does make for an exhilarating experience of visual splendour.