The Great Gatsby is one of those renowned works of art that have made me feel dumb. I like it, but don’t see what’s great about it. When I heard Baz Luhrmann was directing a new cinema adaptation, I was pleased, as he has made two films I’ve thoroughly enjoyed: Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Moulin Rouge (2001), both collaborations with screenwriter Craig Pearce. When it received good reviews, I really looked forward to it. Well, I finally had the chance to see it, courtesy of Netflix, and I’m ambivalent. I did not like the first half, despite the spectacular sets and high energy, roaring 20's partying. There was too much narration, hip-hop on the sound track, and funky story-telling, and Leonardo DiCaprio, whose work I really admire, seemed stiff in the lead, Ol' Sport. All that changed in the second half, as the scenario followed a more conventional line and the actors stepped up emotionally. I thought Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan outshone everyone. Tobey Maguire, who always comes across on the screen as genuine, seemed out of his element in jazz age garb as Nick Carraway, the novel’s and film's narrator. The script has him telling the tale from a rest home, at first to a shrink, who encourages him to write it. This was odd, as it makes seem the character and not F. Scott Fitzgerald created the work. The film was shot in Luhrmann’s homeland, Australia, standing in for Long Island. I suspect the shots of old New York were CGI creations. None of that detracted from the piece. It was produced on a modest budget of $105 million and earned almost $145 million in the U.S. alone, so it was a hit financially. Since the second half is superior to the first, its 2:23 running time didn’t not seem long. On a scale of five, I rate it 3. It is rated 7.4 of ten at IMDb. It is much better than the 1974 Robert Redford/Mia Farrow/Sam Waterston version directed by Jack Clayton, screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola. All great works have wonderful nuggets. The one I remember most from Gatsby is “…the unreality of reality…” Many times in my life I’ve asked myself: Is this real?
Given that it snowed practically all yesterday and into the morning, I was surprised the accumulation was not a lot more. Here in Sheepshead Bay I’d say it was definitely less than a foot, powdery, light. It took me only 15 minutes to clean off the car and dig out a trench around it. On the way, I noted the spot I was parked in during the last storm was again completely clear of snow. The aprtment building must do something to the wind pattern. The bitter cold is forecast to remain through Saturday, so the earliest possible return of the floating book shop is Sunday. I should be done working on my wood floor tomorrow. I’ll have to find busy work to get me through Friday. I haven't had a single sale of one of my own books this month, but I found good news in my bank statement -- royalties from sales of three Kindle versions. I'd been wondering when I'd hear from Amazon. I was expecting a check, forgetting that I'd selected electronic transfer, for which there is no payout threshold required. This prompted me to look through previous statements and I found payment for eight more sales, a much needed boost to morale.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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