Party Like It’s 1922

Have you been as excited as I have about The Great Gatsby premiere? F. Scott Fitzgerald definitely ranks among my top three favorite authors, so I’ve been looking forward to this movie ever since I learned about it over a year ago.

I drove two hours to go to the midnight premiere with a friend (it was actually a 10pm showing, but I was absolutely fine with getting to go to bed at a decent hour). Being that I was doing a bit of traveling to see it, there was no way I wasn’t going to dress up. I got a glitzy, sequined dress for $5 at a yard sale, but when I put it on, it was a bit large on me and just looked too 1980s. I had this drop-waist dress in my closet, so I figured it was passable for 1920s. Paired with the long necklaces, the headband, and the 20s-esque purse, I really like how it came out. I would’ve loved to have worn a glamorous dress with fringe and beading, a more elaborate headpiece, and jazz shoes, but this was free and practical. Plus, I’d wear this not as a costume.

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I really enjoyed the movie, and I definitely recommend it, but only if you’ve read the book. I didn’t see it in 3D (not really a fan of 3D), but I think a lot of the visuals and effects could make that a neat experience. I was worried the modern twists would bother me (the music, for instance), but it’s a very flashy, extravagant film, as Fitzgerald portrays the jazz age to be, and the twists kind of help to exaggerate the hedonistic lifestyle of the characters. The approach in terms of production is obviously anti-realistic, and everything about the movie is theatrical, so you just have to go expecting that.

There were some things about the movie that bothered me, but not enough to make me not like it. I was reading a review on NPR, and one thing the author Linda Holmes mentioned is, ”the entire moral underpinning of Gatsby is lost because it is given a romantic aspect far beyond what should be there,” and I agree with that. But I think that’s the case in a lot of modern movies – all emphasis is put on love and romance. The movie was pretty faithful to the story line of the novel, though. Most other issues I had were just petty annoyances…Gatsby’s accent seemed inconsistent and forced at times, and the insanely fast cars zig-zaging around obstacles required that I extend my belief farther than I could.

Did you dress up for the premiere? If you’ve seen the movie, what’d you think?

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dress: secondhand Old Navy
shoes: secodhand Maria Sharpova by Cole Haan
purse: seconhand J. Jill
accessories: secondhand

And just a reminder,
If you have my blog bookmarked, be sure to change that bookmark to www.jalfrezi.com.

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One Comment

  1. Megan
    Posted May 14, 2013 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    LOVE that headband on you! You look great :) I haven’t seen Gatsby yet, but I plan to see it this week sometime!! Can’t wait.

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  • Hey! I'm Maggie, a graphic designer, crafter, devoted secondhand shopper, Doctor Who fanatic, and dog-lover. Stick around and explore!


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