CANNES – All aboard for the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

“The Great Gatsby” by Baz Luhrmann unofficially opened the festivities this morning at 10 a.m. local time (fest kicks off tonight at 7:15 p.m. with the film’s premiere).

No need to dwell on the artistic indulgence that befits the director of “Moulin Rouge,” we’ve been down that road before. Luhrmann likes to do things big, but it ought to be said that the filmmaker can run a film set and surround himself with the right crew, there’s no way that such a film could’ve seen the light of day otherwise.

The time and the work that went into research for this movie (historical context, wardrobe, accessories, set design) is enough to make my skin crawl with admiration. Luhrmann and his associates have done splendidly well with it and the film is a solid success.

Negativists will claim that “The Great Gatsby” (as is the case with some of Luhrmann’s previous films) is like Disney on steroids, all opulence and agitation and not much else, while others might argue that The Great Gatsby the novel was not ever right for adapting to the big screen. And yet, Luhrmann has revived a popular book which has enchanted several generations, giving one of our most celebrated actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, an opportunity to turn out another dead-on performance. The technical feat behind “Gatsby” is simply stunning (the movie was filmed directly in 3-D) and even though Luhrmann assaults this cautionary tale with his gleaming aesthetic, you can’t blame the filmmaker for incoherence or inconsistence. Moreover the message, your past will always catch up with you, remains true.

SEE OUR OTHER ARTICLES

Cannes you speak French? (France makes a strong showing this year)

Lana Del Rey song “Young and Beautiful” a part of “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack