The Great Gatsby - C+

Rated PG-13, 143 minutes

Stylish yet uneven, this flawed "Gatsby" is good but not great

Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio

The Good Gatsby. How about The Mediocre Gatsby or The OK Gatsby? With that said, the flawed new Baz Luhrmann version of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic novel "The Great Gatsby" is an intriguing disappointment. Updated to appeal a new generation, the well-acted, handsome film is dripping with style and colorful visuals, yet it's also too long, uneven and dramatically hollow. Wide-eyed mid-westerner Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) comes to the glittery New York City with big dreams. Nick's neighbor is the mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), with whom Jay shares a deep connection, and her philandering husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). With glittery disco balls, 3D, rap music and CG images galore, this mildly enjoyable but uneven version of "The Great Gatsby" is an interpretation to draw a younger crowd, and while some of Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge"-esque contemporary touches work, it still fails to capture the depth and passion of Fitzgerald's literary magnum opus. Luhrmann has a fantastically lavish approach, perfectly capturing the essence of the 1920s with some peppy, first-rate visuals, costumes and sets, though his addition of some contemporary music is a minor distraction (particularly Beyonce's "Crazy in Love"), and will certainly cause Fitzgerald purists to cry foul. It is also well-cast, with DiCaprio and Mulligan making for a fine pair of tragic lovers, and Maguire also just as strong as Carraway (and some might even say this is more his film than DiCaprio's). While he has the style down perfectly, especially in the initial sections, Luhrmann's storytelling is dramatically weak and lacks the intensity of the visuals in a faithful but never-ending third act that goes on much too long. This opulently vapid version of "The Great Gatsby" is good but not as great as it could've been: entertaining and more accessible than its cinematic predecessors, but about 25 minutes too long and lacking a strong emotional core. The intriguing Luhrmann is always worth a look, though in this case style wins out over substance. 

Wes's Grade: C+