Gangs of New York
I know this is a little late, but here is my review for Gangs of New York. The movie, having been delayed a year, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the son of a murdered priest (Liam Neeson), who was killed by The Butcher in battle. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a Golden Globe-Nominated performance as the butches, as well as Cameron Diaz’s Golden Globe-Nominated performance as Jenny, a spicy girl with quick hands. The picture is also nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama at this year’s Golden Globes.
The question: Does this film deserve it? At first I was quite upset to hear that Leonardo DiCaprio was not nominated for best leading male for this film (he was, however, nominated for best lead male in his 5-days later Spielberg flick – Catch Me If You Can), but after a little reflection, I realize that I even noticed a few flaws in his Irish accent, but overall his performance was pretty satisfactory. Daniel Day-Lewis does deserve the nomination for his brilliant as Bill the Butcher, giving a powerful, sometimes scary performance as the man who kills the father of Amsterdam (DiCaprio) and takes the young boy under his wing later in life. Cameron Diaz, was also a gem. She really delivered a performance very different from most films she does, and she was wonderful doing it.
As for the story and the best picture nomination, I thought it was a very nice story (not nice as in fuzzy bunnies, but a solid story). The direction was questionable, as was the editing. I remember one scene shot from one angle and then another…but the two angles were two different colors. Overall the film for me was quite enjoyable and will be on my DVD list. I thought the ending was very clever and I enjoyed the closing scene.
Overall rating: B
Suggestions: Definitely for an older audience. Violence, sex, language, did I say violence? But I think the more appreciative movie audience will enjoy this picture.
MCC's Gangs of New York Page
Back to new index
Back home