Courbyne Bufford

I started this movie with high hopes of enjoying a Woody Allen film after some time and was very much disappointed but not at the same time. While Woody Allen has a very unique style I am starting to see a glaring pattern within the depiction of men and women that can no longer be ignored in this increasing growing politically correct age where women are fighting for more dimensional characters and dialogue. The scenery is picturesque and New York is highlighted as being this magical city, as it always has, but this however cannot distract me from the tedious, seeming clumsy and almost oblivious dialogue of the characters. Every troupe is hit in this movie with self reverential speeches and sonnets of wants and desires spoken by the main character Gatsby and other men in the movie. Everyone in his path come under his high brow scrutiny and their free will is often painted as inconvenience at times. Simply put Gatsby, and most men in this movie are shown as the "nice guy", the "seductive struggling, misunderstood artist", and so on. What I am meant to feel for these men and the lead himself is very unclear and none of them are very likable or even tolerable. Now to the women. Ashleigh is shown as this somewhat well meaning naive yet ambitious idealized young woman eager to please in her quest toward journalistic success. Although I can at times buy into the sweet girl troupe, she does not feel real. Instead she feels like an image of a young idealized impressionable woman that men in their thirties fantasize about how women in their 20's must be like. Her character of course is contrast by Chan, the sister of Gatsby's ex. She is bold and outspoken and cares very little for Gatsby's long winded tales of his idealized girlfriend and rationalizations about her sister. Somehow though they spend the day together reminiscing about the good old days and their lives now, as his current girlfriend unrealistically chases a drunken filmmaker around New York. I wanted to like this movie but with fresh eyes and a different perspective I just don't. While the actors give their all to this story, it still feels fake, disingenuous and self serving. The dialogue, often spoken by young people in their mid to late 20's feels old and dated, as if it was made for a different generation, one that did not grow up with instant technology and remembers when New York had more stories than Starbucks. For those in love with the cinematic journey of Woody Allen, you will be pleased to hear familiar tones and assumptions pressed in this movie. The male gaze is fully intact, idealism of the female personage thrives in the most uncomfortable of ways and in the end, things will be exactly as you think they will. To those who are venturing with new eyes you will find this movie to be lackluster and elitist. Like me you may want Ashleigh to be more than an idealized young girl seemingly preyed upon by emotional stunted and selfish men, to have more to her than what she is given, which is my main qualm with the movie throughout. While New York and its residents may be depicted in this movie and others of Allen's in some way or another, this just really is not the part of New York I care to escape into as their is far less freedom, adventure, depth or emotional substance to draw me in and keep me there at all.