Yesterday, I went to see The Great Gatsby. Well, let me put it this way: I forgot to eat my popcorn throughout the whole movie. Enough said! (For those who never went to the movies with me: I usually eat my popcorn within the first 10 minutes.) I absolutely loved the movie and I can only advise everyone to go and see it.

Where to start… I am in love with the music. The soundtrack will be released in Germany on May 17th and I can’t wait to get it. It’s a mix of hard beats, soft tunes and of course jazz and swing, but in a very modern way. Artists like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, Fergie, Florence and the Machine, Jack White, wil.i.am or Emeli Sandé accompany the scenes and give the movie a very special touch. In my opinion, the music does not always fit the movie, especially not the 1920s, but the concept as a whole somehow just fits perfectly. Familiar songs like ‘Crazy in Love’ or ‘Back to Black’ are presented in new versions, which personally I think are wonderful. And then, there is a scene, people lying around after a huge party, the sun is back up and everyone is completely exhausted and the sound of Florence and the Machine fills the room. Perfect! I was completely taken in. Even if you’re not interested in the movie, listen to the music. It will take you in, as well!

Furthermore, the movie has a very special style. The pictures were created to portray a rather unreal surrounding, so it seems. The sky looks like it was created by computer. The water, the lights, the clouds, it all doesn’t look natural. It all makes the movie look very artistic and creates a certain magical atmosphere.

The movie – another tragic love story. But believe me, this is a good one. It has everything. Passion, tragedy, fun, power, insanity and a lot more. There is a cottage scene, where Gatsby and Daisy meet after many years. Those 10 minutes, from the moment Gatsby begins to prepare everything, to the moment they leave the cottage together, are some of the funniest I’ve ever seen. Overall, especially the first 1,5 hours are very powerful. It’s loud, it’s pompous, it’s over the top, it’s fantastic. And the rest of the movie is fantastic as well, just a little more tragic and serious.

The cast did a wonderful job. I’m not a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan, although he is a great actor, but he totally worked that ‘Gatsby-smirk’ that he always seems to have on his face. Carey Mulligan played a wonderful Daisy. With her porcelain skin and her beautiful big eyes she captures the audience from the first moment we see her, lounging on the sofa. And of course, Tobey Maguire does a brilliant job at playing the cousin who doesn’t know what he got himself into and always seems to be in-between chairs.

The costumes are beautiful, the mansions, or better put castles, are breathtaking, although I think the little cottage is absolutely adorable, too. The movie simply offers everything a good movie needs. We have a bad guy that we can hate, who loves to cheat on his wife and is such an arrogant jerk. We have lovebirds that we hope will have a happy end. We feel the music and want to throw a big party. We are sad when the wrong people die.

I could go on and on telling you how great the movie is but I am just gonna finish by saying: GO WATCH THE GREAT GATSBY!