From Wall Street Journal : DiCaprio Hosts Art Auction The Great Gatsby Would Have Loved

At one point during a charity art auction Monday at Christie’s in New York, actor Leonardo DiCaprio—sitting in the front row—pivoted around in his seat to wave at someone sitting farther back. Auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen, who was fielding bids from his rostrum, looked down and said, “Are you bidding, Leo? This is an auction. You don’t wave to your friends during an auction.”

Mr. DiCaprio grinned and turned around in his seat, but his chagrin—like so much of Christie’s entire sale—was pure theater. The actor had organized this “11th Hour” sale to raise funds for his environmental causes, and he made sure Christie’s Rockefeller Center saleroom was packed with Hollywood pals like Bradley Cooper, Tobey Maguire, Mark Ruffalo and Lukas Haas. Salma Hayek, whose father-in-law Francois Pinault owns Christie’s, also turned up.

The wrangling paid off: The sale’s 33 works wound up selling for a combined $33.3 million, with proceeds (minus Christie’s 5% commission) going to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which funds efforts to stem deforestation and save tigers in places like Nepal. The auction also spurred an additional $5 million in related donations, the house said.

Christie’s

Takashi Murakami’s $735,000 Mononoke, purchased by actor Leonardo DiCaprio.Mr. DiCaprio ran the show like the character he plays in “The Great Gatsby,” nodding in approval whenever artworks sold high. He stood and applauded when Mr. Maguire won a pair of paintings: Sergej Jensen’s $262,500 untitled abstract—created from sewn money bags—and Rob Pruitt’s $315,000 portrait of a rainbow hued panda, “6:20 p.m., Late Summer.”

Mr. DiCaprio won an artwork as well, Takashi Murakami’s $735,000 “Mononoke,” but he won’t be able to take it home right away because the canvas is still wet and won’t be “completed” until September, the auction house said.

No other celebrities raised their paddles during the sale, but it didn’t matter because the rest of the audience was whipped up: Pharmaceutical billionaire Stewart Rahr, who bid with an unlit cigar dangling from his lips, paid $1.5 million for Robert Longo’s charcoal drawing of a tiger, “Untitled (Leo).” The big cat was only priced to sell for up to $350,000. Mr. Rahr also paid $1 million for Elizabeth Peyton’s portrait of the actor, “Leonardo, February 2013,” well over its $600,000 high estimate.

The frenzy also helped New York dealer Larry Gagosian reset price levels for one of the artists he represents, Mark Grotjahn. Christie’s wanted least $1.5 million for the Los Angeles painter’s colorful canvas, “Untitled (Standard Lotus No. II, Bird of Paradise, Tiger Mouth Face 44.01),” but bidding for it escalated quickly. Mr. Gagosian joined the competition for it once the bidding topped $5 million, and he wound up winning it for $6.5 million.

In all, records were broken for 13 artists including Sterling Ruby, Dan Colen, Bharti Kher, Adam McEwen, Raymond Pettibon and Carol Bove, whose untitled canvas—covered in peacock feathers—sold for $315,000 to Andy Warhol dealer Alberto Mugrabi.

Before the auction started, Mr. DiCaprio told the audience, “We have to start thinking of nature as something to be valued as much as fine art.” Clearly, he understands human nature as well.

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/05/14/dicaprio-hosts-art-auction-the-great-gatsby-would-have-loved/

Princess

Tks for more Leo/Christie auction pix , as well as, after dinner tweet

Daisy

Great choice of Gatsby stills, luv them and the movie

dicapriophotos

Lenoardo di Caprio in Brioni at charity auction in New York

The video below doesn't show Leo speaking, but it does show footage of him on the trip he took with Wildlife Foundation, and we hear him speak in the video

Princess

Great cover and terrific auction pix , tks

Thanks Ox and Princess for the updates He looked so lovely at Christies Auction! He must be on his way to Cannes right now... :dance: Can't wait!

I'm seeing Gatsby today SO EXCITED!!

Some sweet words from Carey

Carey Mulligan on The Great Gatsby

Leonardo DiCaprio] was amazing right from the screen test. It was me, him and Baz, who was shooting from five different angles. There were four other people in the scene and Leo played every single character, jumping around the room. At one point I was meant to completely freak out, have a panic attack and then he calms me down. Leo was improvising stuff, whispering it to me. I was thinking, why are you helping me? You've seen so many actresses today. So the film had a really good vibe. The most famous person on set sets the tone for how everyone behaves.

[Leonardo] was number one on the call sheet and if he walked onto the set in a good mood, which he did, everyday, that meant everyone followed suit. If Leonardo DiCaprio is being lovely and working really hard, then number 15 on the call sheet can't be a dick."

http://www.anotherma...he_Great_Gatsby

Nick_Lamp Nick Lamp 2h

@CamboSlice33 Bradley on the left, Leo on the right pic.twitter.com/jACEJY2NWL

I think Leo is already in Cannes - then ? This guys he is in Cannes !

‏@filmWard 1 h

Great interview by the sea with @LeoDiCaprio who was wearing white sports socks = #wrong but #sweet #Cannes2013 #TheGreatGatsby

@filmWard 51 s

Great interview by the sea with @LeoDiCaprio who was wearing white sports socks = #wrong but #sweet

Tweet of yesterday ;

@filmWard 2 h

@TheJimeister exactly! Even my interview with DiCaprio as is immediately geëmbargo'd, I get my tapes until tomorrow.

And then an interresting fact

‏

@filmWard 1 h

Okay Belgium: the Gatsby team in Cannes won't confirm if Beyoncé is coming to premiere. Only Florence (from the Machine) is confirmed.

And also I don't know if it's accurate, because the most of time Cannes is covered here in France by a channel Canal Plus - and the show Le Grand Journal but there's a lot of chances it's possible too ;

@ YumiMJNC 1 h

Leonardo Dicaprio is tomorrow's guest 20h TF1! LeonardoDicaprio TF1 # # # 20h

Another tweet that is accurate, the guy who will receive Leo is a very famous presentator here in France - for the radio the 18 and 19 May ;

@ cindygoyet 1 h

@ @ nikosofficiel receive LeoDiCaprio in LesIncontournables #! http://eur1.fr/eABchqQ via @ europe1 # # E1WE Cannes2013 "

And I am glad you like the video guys

edit

Gerhard Busch ‏@GerhardCinemaNL 4h

Just confirmed: Thursday at Hotel Du Cap to talk about # greatgatsby with Leo DiCaprio, Toby Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Baz Lurman #greatgatsby

ashley hoffmann ‏@ashleyhoffmann_ 4h

Leonardo DiCaprio is staying at my parents hotel in Paris #FlyMeOutThere

Vid of Leo speaking at beginning of Christie/11th Hour event

Princess

Tks for Cannes tweets and pix of Leo/Brad

Makeitcount

Tks for all the tweets /news from Cannes ; getting excited for the big Cannes debut

Kat

Tks for Carey's very sweet words about Leo , as I was reading that short vid of them together behind scenes immediately flashed in my mind

Another pic of Leo and Bradley Cooper back to last night

And also it's been confirmed that Leo will be the guest of the French's Show tomorrow

Warning event. Leonardo DiCaprio will be Wednesday night on TF1. The American actor is the special guest of 20h Gilles Birch on the occasion of the presentation at the opening of the 66th Cannes Film Festival for the film "The Great Gatsby". He plays the first role, that of Jay Gatsby, and tragic romantic figure in the excitement of the 20s.The interview with Leonardo DiCaprio will be recorded in the morning on Wednesday in Cannes. At the time of broadcast, the American actor will attend the screening of "The Great Gatsby" in the hall of the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals, after climbing, along with the film crew, decorated with the traditional markets red carpet. Gilles Birch wanted to meet Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor, he said, "has the talent to choose the films and filmmakers," someone who has "an exceptional film instinct." Also the reason for his presence in Cannes, the TF1 journalist should discuss with him his passion for preserving the environment.

http://lci.tf1.fr/ci...di-7964245.html

And you are all welcome, my pleasure

Leo arriving in Nice, France,

Tks for the updates girls!

Tks for the articles,tweets,vids and pics!!

Hi everyone, wishing you all well

I have an interview hope its not been posted yet

http://www.itv.com/daybreak/showbiz/lucy-meets-leonardo-di-caprio/?cmpid=nl_130514db&itv_em=f76b2d3f7ca605ff21858025af388635

Thank you all for the amazing pics/ interviews/ vids/ articles etc loving it , Leo looks fab as ever

Hoping to see Gatsby Thursday or Friday really excited for this film can't wait x x

Mwah xx

Nice to see leo is in Cannes now :dance: Can't wait for the premiere!

-----------------

So just got back from Gatsby....LOVED IT! Don't know what these critics have up their butt, what were they expecting? This was a lovely adaptation in my opinion, I can't think of any other way! It wasn't PERFCECT by any means, but it was definetly a very good, entertaining, beautiful film. (reminded me of Moulin Rouge a little bit, and I loved that movie!) I guess lovely would be the best word to describe it

I think fans of the book would be very happy, it stays very true to the book. Makes it better/more intense really!

Leo was great as usual, I can't imagine anybody playing Gatsby better! (Also that elizabeth debeki/Jordan was excellent! she stole every scene! Joel/Tom was great as well! As was Tobey )

Hi everyone, wishing you all well

I have an interview hope its not been posted yet

http://www.itv.com/d...1858025af388635

Thank you all for the amazing pics/ interviews/ vids/ articles etc loving it , Leo looks fab as ever

Hoping to see Gatsby Thursday or Friday really excited for this film can't wait x x

Mwah xx

Can't see the interview

Here's the interview from Sunday's Top Magazzine in English:

Leo DiCaprio: He’s his own American Dream

The Great Gatsby is almost like an autobiographical film for the actor, acknowledging that his character as he is tenacious and ambitious.

Salvador Cisneros | (May 12, 2013)

In the garden of his mansion, Jay Gatsby, dressed in a fine black suit, pointing to the sky full of stars and tells his friend Nick: "My life ... my life has to be like this. Has to keep going up. "

In this scene from The Great Gatsby (2013), a film that opes the Cannes Film Festival Wednesday, portrays the basic nature of Gatsby, the main character played by Leonardo DiCaprio, which condenses the essence of the American dream.

"I think, absolutely, the American dream is still possible," says DiCaprio in an interview from a suite at The Plaza Hotel, ad hoc site to the world of his character and the film touted, because this famous hotel, with its imposing building facing Central Park, is a classic representative of the opulent era New York who lived in the 20, dubbed the "Age of Jazz".

The phrase that, looking at the sky, DiCaprio tells the actor Tobey Maguire, who plays the story's narrator, Nick Carraway, should not find it outside because he got his own American dream, that mantra (now quite worn already) that ensures in the United States can achieve happiness and life goals if you work with enough effort and dedication.

Coming from a family with no influence in the film industry, DiCaprio ran lucky to be a native of Los Angeles, he has said that, having been born elsewhere, their parents could never have supported, for economic reasons, his aspirations as an actor.

Thus, on his own, like a true self-made man, managed to become a critically acclaimed actor, nominated for an Oscar three times and considered by many, including by his fetish filmmaker Martin Scorsese as the best actor of his generation.

Now, this teenager who started his career in a chewing gum commercial, pockets $ 20 million per film, has a mansion and, as in the movie The Great Gatsby (which opens in Mexico on May 31), his nearest friend, Nick, in real life, is precisely Maguire, whom he has known since adolescence when both auditioned for the series Parenthood.

Then when Gatsby skyward pointing forward to a continued rise in life, DiCaprio seems that it appropriates the phrase written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, author of the novel now filmed in 3D by Baz Luhrmann, to talk about his life.

"I had dreams of becoming an actor since age 7. Was very ambitious of me to be certain, at such a young age what I wanted to achieve in the future. Then I look like Gatsby, because since he was very young made a list of goals and I, a while back, got excited thinking about what I would become when I grew up, "says the actor of 38 years.

"I think the fear of not doing that and the ambition to achieve my dream is something that I resemble Gatsby. He was a eternal dreamer, represents the American dream, and for that reason much fascination."

Continued:

ENIGMATIC AND DISCREET

Gatsby's popularity was forged in New York society by organizing ostentatious parties in his mansion, which were attended by a broad spectrum of urban wildlife: from artists to politicians to gangsters to careerists.

On these evenings, which are very similar in luxury to the world of film festivals, always between champagne and live jazz, women and men lived a hedonist way who, excited by the luxury and the smell of money, wondered who was really Gatsby and where it came from their wealth.

"Of course, the source of his wealth was doubtful, and therefore questioned, but he was emulating the style of life of the tycoons and was on the way to become a Rockefeller" says DiCaprio.

Myths, stories and rumors swirled around like a whirlwind Gatsby: "I have been told he studied at Oxford", "I know he's war hero", "They say he killed a man with his own hands", "I've always believed he traffics alcohol ", were some of the phrases, as currency, were heard in their festivals and nurtured his image.

Similarly, DiCaprio is used, since it gained the status of movie star starring in Titanic (1997), to speculation about his personal life.

But he remains completely elusive, drawing a clear line between his work as an actor and his private face, such is the degree of secrecy are very few public appearances he made with his ex-girlfriends, Gisele Bündchen and Bar Refaeli, at premieres, festivals or awards.

So a picture with the new partner in turn (currently Aferdita Dreshaj and before Blake Lively) is highly prized for the paparazzi.

DiCaprio is not going to talk shows, with mass audiences that represent a great marketing platform for their films, to avoid running the risk of being questioned live and on national television about his private affairs.

Proof of this is that only appeared with David Letterman in 1995, while still looking to strengthen his place in Hollywood, and even a little over a decade later in shows for Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno to talk about his performance in Blood Diamond (2006).

Even recently, the famous American program 60 Minutes which reports and profiles personalities, only had a few minutes with him and the journalist could only get short and evasive answers when asked about his eternal bachelorhood and if " he’ll soon settle down".

DiCaprio, with an awkward smile, replied ambivalent. He went on a tangent.

This actor, who first attracted attention in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1994), performance that earned him his first Oscar nomination at age 20, just does not play the role of celebrity.

If you want to give a television interview, as he did recently, is the Charlie Rose program, serious American journalist characterized by their intelligent questions and broad cultural background.

A NEW GATSBY?

DiCaprio is a kind of modern Gatsby, then, as the main character of this classic of American literature, the actor is famous, but little is really known of his personal life.

Although not part of the film, Fitzgerald writes a sentence in his acclaimed novel that matches the philosophy by which DiCaprio's that tight.

"It is inevitably a fresh look sad things (or people, in this case) to which we have applied our own ability to focus," wrote the celebrated author, who died in Los Angeles victim of his alcoholism in the winter of 1940.

For the most important part, DiCaprio is also a pro-environmental cause supporter, its veracity as an actor. And the fortress surrounding his private life exists so that the audience does not have preconceptions caused by personal issues that may affect their credibility by playing a character.

"The greatest artistic connections I've experienced have been in a theater for two or three hours to be transported to a completely different place. That is something that only cinema can do," he says.

Your credibility is everything to him and his status as high-profile public figure is its ballast.

In that regard, but in cinematic terms, his biggest fear to portray Gatsby was that this is a character too famous.

"Everyone I know has read this book and are so deeply attached to these characters that have their own conclusions and expectations, and certainly have very clear in your head what you want to see and, that way, you can you're preparing yourself ideal ground for a lot of criticism, "he says.

The subtext

Between each question DiCaprio takes time to give steam puffs from his cigar-mail, which is tipped with a green bulb that lights up to the beat of their puffs.

That the light bulb from his cigarette is green refers to the nostalgia that Gatsby feels every time he sees the lighthouse, also green, which is across the delta of his mansion, then right behind that green glow is where his great love, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), who is married to Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton).

"He wants it all. Wants Daisy, fortune and also his mansion has to be bigger than Tom, and when he says this, DiCaprio looks to his crotch to give a double meaning to the phrase sexually and laughing, tops-: his have to be larger ".

When as a young DiCaprio first read The Great Gatsby thought this was just a "classic love story."

But after talks with Australian director Baz Luhrmann, reread the novel but this time with much cultural background and analytical depth.

"He is in love with this mirage that is Daisy and what was fascinating to me to reread the novel was that I managed to completely different understanding of who Gatsby was a representative of that period of America."

The love triangle between Gatsby, Daisy and Tom, the latter in turn has a lover, Myrtle (Isla Fisher) is simply the backbone of a story that has the desire, in its subtext, portraying the feeling of a time when the end was the best and worst of the American dream.

Amid false or interested adulation that gave him his fortune, Gatsby managed to have one true friend Nick, played by Maguire.

"Sure to interpret these two characters (Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway) helped that Leo and I have this old friendship. Was great working with him," said Maguire minutes before the interview with DiCaprio.

In fact, it was DiCaprio who invited him to the film to play Nick. Luhrmann, who worked with DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet (1996), was delighted with the idea that these actors and friends interpret their roles.

"I'm so proud of Tobey's performance," says DiCaprio. "His character is the analytical eye with which we see the world. And he is actually the only true friend of Gatsby. Among all excessive parties and celebrities and aristocrats around him, Nick is the only one there for him ".

CLOSING THE CIRCLE

The reason why a warranty DiCaprio movie film is that always choose quality scripts led by directors who are not just "owners of films", but have a particular view.

"Working in this kind of movies because I think the director is the most important element when it comes to create a cinematic masterpiece," says.

"I think film is the medium of expression of the filmmaker, really. Because even though the actors are important in a movie, I've seen too many good scripts being ruined because the director does not know how to immerse the viewer in the world who are representing ".

Luhrmann DiCaprio described as one of those filmmakers that dissolve reality to settle in a new world.

In addition, the Australian director and showed that it has a hallmark in Romeo + Juliet, by adapting Shakespeare to the modern era also a very modern soundtrack that included music by Radiohead, Garbage and Everclear, among others.

Luhrmann also pleasantly surprised at Cannes with Moulin Rouge: Love in Red (2001), a musical with a love story set in the Paris of 1900, however, modern songs including Nirvana ("Smells Like Teen Spirit") and Elton John ("Your Song").

"There was no way to say no to Baz. He makes you feel so excited about the creative process of the film. Their enthusiasm is contagious. Makes you feel that every day you are doing something incredibly important," says DiCaprio.

Let The Great Gatsby opens the Cannes Film Festival to be held from 15 to 26 May for the actor represents the ideal platform for this period film, which also has a modern soundtrack produced by rapper Jay-Z.

"This is a risky film to open Cannes and is suitable because to me that festival has always received with open arms new and exciting films."

The film is the first adaptation of a classic of American literature in 3D, will be released simultaneously in New York, in a theater just blocks from where Fitzgerald began writing the novel, and also in Cannes, a few kilometers where the American writer put an end to this book.