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
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