It’s difficult for me to assess this because I approached it with a dislike for the book, and after waiting more than ten years, I finally decided to watch the movie. Sadly, they didn't manage to make things better. It remains, fundamentally, pretentious. The story centers on a person whose lifestyle is beyond his reach, living an empty existence, and the expectation is that viewers will find enough common ground with him to either appreciate or condemn him... ...and I simply never felt that connection. Holden Caulfield was pretentious, but what made *The Catcher in the Rye* special was that people could see a part of themselves in him, establish some kind of link, even if they didn’t ultimately approve of his behavior. Jay Gatsby is different. A more accurate description would be that he's a false prophet; that’s really the best way to characterize him... and that isn't a protagonist most people can identify with or feel connected to. That problem extended into this film adaptation. It’s challenging to engage with the novel when you can't relate to the main character, and it presents the same obstacle for the movie. However, the production values are exceptional, and Leo really captured the essence of the role. Actually, all the performances were quite good.

Source on TMDB