The Great Gatsby (2012)

[sobriquet87]

^Knightley, yeah. But Carey? She hasn't played a character like Daisy yet, so it will be interesting to see her in that role.
Most of her characters tend to be quite reserved.

Leo...if compared to Robert Redford's Gatsby is an unexpected choice imo.

 

[kissmesweet]

I love Carey, but I don't think that she fits Daisy at all. We'll see how she pulls it off, since I do like her a lot as an actress. Leo, as well, is a strange casting decision in my opinion. However, Tobey does fit the role of Nick Carraway in my mind.

What I'm mostly irked by is the fact that they're making it in 3D. Is it necessary? And Baz Luhrmann has his moments, but in the more recent years he's developed this approach to film-making that's more... art for art's sake.

Gatsby is one of my absolute favourite books, so fingers crossed that the films will do well, especially considering that the Farrow-Redford version was so lacklustre.

 

[HeatherAnne]

I remember seeing An Education and thinking Carey was a tremendous actress, but she seems to bring a sot of whiny timidness to every character she plays, I can't even watch her anymore.

 

[littlepaperstars]

Amitabh Bachchan will be playing a small role as Meyer Wolfshiem, a gambler. Apparently he's waved his fee for playing the role.

 

[YoninahAliza]

^Okay... now thats freaking awesome! Amitabh Bachchan is truly one of the greats in the acting world. Although wasn't Meyer Wolfshiem suppose to be Jewish not Indian? Anyways, not a big deal I suppose, diversity is always a good thing.

 

[loladonna]

I'm starting to feel wary of Carey Mulligan. She's an actress that seems like a revelation at first until you realize she plays every character the same. Was there any difference between her characters in An Education and Never Let Me Go? She doesn't transform for roles at all. Plus her American accent was dodgy in Wall Street. I'm really not game for being distracted by accent slip-ups in this film.

 

[JacquelineJane]

I think Carey is a tremendous actress, and I beg to differ with those saying she doesn't transform for her roles; for example her part opposite Ryan Gosling in 'Drive' was hardly the demure wallflower. I have every bit of confidence she will rock Daisy as she has yet to disappoint me in any other role.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/819/tumblrlcbavb6l6b1qaz7ss.jpg/

 

[LADCchick]

Regarding Carey's accent, aren't there other non-American actors cast in various roles in the movie? I've never seen these actors before (the ones playing Tom, Jordan, and whatever role they have for Gemma Ward), but I'd be curious how well they'd do with an American accent, in particular a Midwestern accent (for Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Nick) and a New York accent for others. Isla Fisher I'm convinced of since I didn't even know she wasn't American when I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic.

My main issues, as others have also pointed out, are the Leo/Tobey casting. Frankly, I think that Leo's too old to play Gatsby who's supposed to be perhaps 32, no older.

 

[YoninahAliza]

^I wonder how much of The Great Gatsby they are changing. Like if they are making it a modern setting, or set in a different location other then East/West Egg? That might account for so many international actors. And to be honest, I'm still perplexed about why they are shooting in Australia.

 

[littlepaperstars]

It's staying period. The reason they're shooting in Australia is a combination of being financial, the fact that Baz will always prefer to shoot there (I think R&J in Mexico put him off lol) and I'll put money on the fact that it's aesthetic. There will be places up and down that coast in Australia that look more like West Egg then than the real Long Island area looks now. The weather is probably more consistent too.

I don't know why people are so hung up on the real nationality of these actors. They're actors, thats what they do, they pretend to be other people. They'll all have had/will be having voice coaching. Until we've seen footage it's not worth judging how good they'll be as Americans.

 

[YoninahAliza]

^Ahh... thanks so much for explaining! I suppose every director has his preference as to where he wants to shoot and since Australia is home for Baz it's only normal that he'd film everything in his homeland. And I am glad to hear that it's staying period because I was a bit worried for a moment. I mean, he did make Romeo & Juliet a modern setting (but made them talk in old English. Which I still think is weird. ). Anyways, as long as they do a good job playing the characters I don't really care what nationality they are.

 

[lostgirl]

I'm really psyched about this precisely because it seems like they're not going in a traditional direction with it. We've seen that before other adaptations. Luhrmann is know for thinking outside the box, and he's at his best when he's reimagining well known material (La Boheme, Camille, Romeo and Juliet) in his own way. It generally ticks off purists and doesn't resonate with everyone, but it also generates excellent performances from his actors, and interesting discussion. I think that's what he's doing here. Luhrmann stumbles when he's trying to conform to a formula (like big screen epic romance in Australia, which I liked despite its faults but which isn't his best work) so I'm glad to see that he's deviating from what you'd expect by shooting this down under, in 3D, with a cast you might not automatically expect to see in these roles.

As for the actors, I think Leo as Gatsby is really interesting, potentially inspired casting. I don't think he's too old for the role at all. Fitzgerald suggests that Gatsby is in his early 30's and at 36 Leo can easily pass for a year or two younger. Especially in the set photos I've seen (see below). Tobey is older than I've always pictured Nick but I can still see it working. I'm not familiar with Carey Mulligan's work beyond An Education and Never Let Me Go but she did impress me in both of those movies, and I'm curious to see her Daisy.

Set pics (popsugar, the daily telegraph and fanpop)


I suppose my point is that I'm not sure that this film will be successful, but I think it'll be interesting to find out. As someone already pointed out Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge opened to mixed reviews at first, and became more appreciated as time went on. I could see this going the same way possibly. Time will tell.

 

[LADCchick]

It's staying period. The reason they're shooting in Australia is a combination of being financial, the fact that Baz will always prefer to shoot there (I think R&J in Mexico put him off lol) and I'll put money on the fact that it's aesthetic. There will be places up and down that coast in Australia that look more like West Egg then than the real Long Island area looks now. The weather is probably more consistent too.

I don't know why people are so hung up on the real nationality of these actors. They're actors, thats what they do, they pretend to be other people. They'll all have had/will be having voice coaching. Until we've seen footage it's not worth judging how good they'll be as Americans.

I know for me, if the actor isn't dodgy in his accent, that's a plus. I can't remember what season it was of MI-5 (Spooks), but they had a British actress on there who was playing a US intelligence officer, and her "American" accent was all over the place. It was a distraction for me. That's why I brought it up.

 

[littlepaperstars]

I'm not saying it isn't important, or that a bad accent isn't distracting, but it is part of their job to do different accents. I'm saying with regards to Isla and Carey particularly, I'm sure they're working exceptionally hard to get the accents right. I can't speak for this production or these actors really but I know certainly with the actors I work with they put a lot of effort into getting the accents right, it's usually one of the first ports of call for any actor trying to find their character. Find the voice, find the mannerisms, find the character. I know people have been concerned about Carey's American accent , but lets just let her get on with it and see it before passing judgement.

 

[JacquelineJane]

Isla's American accent is pretty spot on - if anyone has seen Definitely Maybe and Wedding Crashers I'm sure you'll agree!

 

[LADCchick]

No, I totally agree. I said earlier that I didn't even know that Isla Fisher isn't American because when I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic, she had me thoroughly convinced. I first saw Carey Mulligan in An Education (loved it!) and later in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (not the greatest sequel), and I thought her American accent was fine in the second movie. The other actors I honestly don't know about.

But, it's not like it's unheard of for people to question an actor's ability to nail an accent. It happens the other way around for American actors who play British or Australian or Irish all the time. I think it's a concern (from the public, from critics, from whomever) that just always pops up.

 

[littlepaperstars]

Today's WWD reports that the film will be exclusively outfitted in Tiffany & Co. baubles. "It’s a natural role for Tiffany,” Jon King, the jeweler’s executive vice president, told WWD. “Tiffany was certainly part of this era. The brand was at the center of the parties of the rich and famous.” He says Luhrmann and the film's production designer approached Tiffany about a year ago, and from there they created "one-of-a-kind platinum and diamond-encrusted bracelets, rings, headpieces and long pearl necklaces."

 

[justlooking]

^^ yum!

argh like a lot of you, i feel like this movie is all wrong!

I have no doubt that Carey Mulligan will be able to pull of a 20s look but pulling off Daisy and her voice full of money...I suddenly feel like both Leo and Carey's faces are too doughy for the characters they're going to play!

But regardless, it will be lively, have great music, awesome costumes and be very stylish.

Who would you have cast instead?

 

[littlepaperstars]

^ I've said from day one I have no problem with Carey, though I wouldn't have minded Keira or Kiki Dunst having a crack at it either. Both would have different takes I think, but interesting. Amanda Seyfried too would have been interesting but I'm not sure she'd be ready for it right now, she'd look great though. 5 years ago I'd have said Michelle Williams, not that she's really too old now but I think she's matured in her roles since then and maybe now it wouldn't sit quite as well.
I stand by my claim that Ryan Gosling should have played Jay, I've said it from day one. I don't think Leo's a bad actor just Ryan seems so much more suited to the role. We all have an idea of what we think jay should look like, for me Leo isn't it. If they'd made it 15 years ago, Brad Pitt should have done it. For Nick I'd have gone with Joseph Gordon Levitt or Dominic Cooper.
Ironically I've always felt that Jordan was one of the more interesting female roles too.

 

[Jenna-maria]

^
yeps, Joseph as Nick would have been awsome!