On the surface, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby seems to be a novel that would lend itself to cinematization. It’s short (50,000 words), with flashy characters, wild parties and a spasm of violence near the end.
But the book’s essence seems to have so far eluded Hollywood (though all we really know about the lost 1926 silent version is that Scott and Zelda hated it so much they walked out of the premiere). But the audacious Baz Luhrman has been planning his version for more than a decade — maybe he had some particular insight into Fitzgerald’s benediction for the American dream?
Ah, not really, our critic Dan Lybarger concludes, though he likes the soundtrack, which incorporates “everything from George Gershwin to Amy Winehouse.” Otherwise, “eye gouging 3D is a poor substitute” for Fitzgerald’s “elegant” style.
Elsewhere, we have Peeples, which promises to be slightly better than most Tyler Perry presentations; the odd but resonant The Angel’s Share, which is the old socialist Ken Loach’s attempt at a heist comedy, and Chilean director Nicolas Lopez’s Aftershock, a disaster movie that features horror director Eli Roth in the lead role of “Gringo.”
All righty then. At least we’ve got next week’s Little Rock Film Festival (May 15-19) to look forward to.
Read Friday's MovieStyle for full reviews.