March 26, 2013 - 10:22am
Thoughts on 'The Great Gatsby' opening this year's Cannes Film Festival
BY GABY VASQUEZ
- Warner Bros.
Last week, it was announced that “The Great Gatsby” would be opening the 66th Festival de Cannes, on May 15. This is not Baz Luhrmann’s first time at the festival, as he was honored both for “Strictly Ballroom” in 1992 and “Moulin Rouge!” in 2001. As if there wasn’t already pressure for “Gatsby” to be amazing (the recreation of a classic is never easy and always comes with high expectations), the fact that it is opening Cannes after it’s stateside release (May 10) means that there is a whole lot more riding on the film to be another one of Luhrmann’s successes.
As a huge fan of Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel and a certified Leonardo DiCaprio fangirl, I’ve been looking forward to “Gatsby” since only whispers about it were floating around the dark corners of the Internet. There may or may not have been tears when the release date was pushed from December 2012 to May 2013, but I consoled myself by watching and re-watching the trailer (and, of course, rereading the book as many times as possible).
I know I have high expectations for the film, but I also have faith that Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire will not disappoint. However, the film’s overall success means just as much to me as my own approval of it. We’ve all experienced that horrible feeling when a film you adore just doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, or gets much-too-cruel reviews. My worry is that the pressure for it to be a success at Cannes will raise expectations even higher than they already are, leading to critiques that may just a bit too harsh and effectively preventing the movie from being seen as incredible as I’m sure it will be.
My not-so-subtle bias aside, it will be interesting to see how, if at all, the release of the movie prior to its showing at Cannes will affect its reviews. Whichever way it turns out, Gatsby will always hold a special place in my heart (but you know I’ll be praying for its success!).
