The Not-So-Great Gatsby Reviews

I get the Schmoes. Exactly what I was expecting.



But, Jahns... Hits the nail on the head. Precisely. It's about Baz Luhrmann's colorful directing choices. How he chose to handle the actors. That's what we see frame to frame. That's what people will find strange.





















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Baz Luhrmann Explains

I don't get the style of acting/directing here. Very 50's.

This will not appeal to a younger audience. May do well as a rental or on TV, etc., but theaters will be empty.
























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Baz Luhrmann Talks Gatsby

Boy, is Baz intense. However, I don't see audiences caring as much as Luhrmann does. Nonetheless, differences in passion set aside, at :25 Luhrmann strikes upon the main problem with this story -- it was published in 1925. While he may have a burning desire to convey to us how readers felt when the novel first appeared, Luhrmann can't really expect a contemporary audience to find such stuff of interest.

It occurs to me this may have been more appropriate on HBO or some other network, run over a period of a week or so, one hour at a time, give or take. That could have worked.

As is, considering the movie cost over $100 million, this comes off as a bit of a hard sell.
























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NPR Watch

Terry Gross talks with Danny Boyle about 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Kim Masters on the three endings for 'Australia' shot by Baz Luhrmann (with comments from Bill Mechanic and Anne Thompson).