I hoped the leaked version of “Grown Woman” isn’t the official version.

It’s such a letdown after her Paris performance.

I’m so late with movies /sigh. Anyway…

I thought it was soo good. So, so good. I absolutely loved it.

The casting was spot on (even if Gemma only had one line and appeared twice, but I digress~), it was visually stunning, the wardrobe and overall styling was fantastic, and I loved the soundtrack. It could have used less Lana Del Rey, though (sorry not a fan).

The Rhapsody in Blue scene where Gatsby is finally revealed was so over the top and brilliant.

If I was wearing pearls I would have been clutching them. I’m a sucker for love and hope and romance which is probably why The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books and I think Baz Luhrmann really captured it all.

The movie has been widely criticized about how it doesn’t really capture the essence of the novel, which is something I can agree with. However, I don’t believe that makes it a bad movie. The movie focuses more on the the story of the characters and their relationships rather than the larger messages of Fitzgerald’s story: the pursuit of the American Dream and the destructiveness of the 1920’s. These two ideas are certainly present in the film, but they are not explored enough to many critics’ dismay.

Personally, I think it’s important to separate book-based movies from the books they’re based on. It’s difficult to do so when a movie, like Gatsby, is so faithful to the book, especially when the book is such an important piece of American literature. Nevertheless, the experience of watching a movie and reading a book will always be different.

One reason people tend to prefer the books to book-based movies is that you’re left to your own imagination when you’re reading. Movies, on the other hand, provide you the visuals, voices, and a soundtrack. Another obvious reason is that the book came first, so you’re already expecting your expectations to be depicted on screen.

That’s impossible. Give it up.

As more and more movies based on books are being made, it’s necessary to separate the movie from the book and view the movie as a movie itself rather than an on-screen representation that you hope directly parallels your experience of reading the book.

Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby depicts the story of man in love; an opportunist who from a very young age had large hopes of escaping poverty. The movie does a damn good job of telling Gatsby’s story.