I never thought I could feel every feeling in the world at once. My heart melted in my mouth and my body was involuntarily shaking as my mind, intoxicated with the marvel presented on the large grandiose canvas in front of me, somehow turned into a small child performing cartwheels. “The Great Gatsby” took my breath away and refused to return it.

The cinematography was one of the many things that dazzled me beyond anything I’ve ever seen in a movie. I’m not an expert at CGI or any of those effects, but the blues were bluer, the water was liquid crystal, and the image was so sharp and so clear I couldn’t have been more impressed with it.

Surprisingly, the movie actually really stuck well with the book. Many say that the book is better, which in my opinion the book is always better, but director Baz Luhrmann didn’t take away any of the important elements of the book. The symbolism of the green light, the clock, and the clothing of the characters was just as evident, if not more, in the movie. Luhrmann said in an interview that they went through the book and took out the little things that would have no effect on the overall bigger picture of the story. I was perfectly happy with Luhrmann’s vision, but I can see others having a problem with it. Movies and books are always matters of perception, though, so not everyone can be pleased.

I have a feeling that the people who end up being displeased will be on polar ends of the “who read the book” spectrum; Fitzgerald connoisseurs and those who never even heard of The Great Gatsby until the trailers are most likely to be nitpicky about the film. Especially to the ones who never read the book, the movie might not make sense to them at all. They might not understand that the reason Gatsby seems so shallow is because his character is a representation of the emptiness of the American Dream. But I know that if I never read the book, I would probably think the movie is really stupid, despite how beautiful it is.

Regardless of the screenplay, the actors were phenomenal at bringing the story to life. When the cast was leaked out and I Googled every one of them out of curiosity, I thought that Carey Mulligan was too baby-faced to properly portray the glamorous flapper that Daisy Fay is. I was glad to be wrong, because Mulligan was perfect for the role. Her voice fit that enchanting sort of manner that Fitzgerald described Daisy having in the book. And for Gatsby, I can’t even begin how Leonardo Di Caprio was made like a glove for that role. You can read every emotion on his face like an open book. Tobey Maguire was adorable as Nick Carraway, all shy and bashful when approaching his affluent and stuck-up friends in the East Egg.

The soundtrack will probably end up winning over the Academy to bring home an Oscars. It was brilliantly crafted, with each song representing a key aspect of a character or situation in the book. Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful” is clearly Daisy’s persona, and Florence and the Machine’s “Over the Love” as Gatsby. Those two were my absolute favorites on the soundtrack, both packed with emotion and symbolism from the story.

I wouldn’t be surprised if “The Great Gatsby” wins something from every category during next year’s Oscars. I wonder if Di Caprio will actually win one this time. Good luck, old sport.

by KAVLEEN SINGH