Gangs of New York

January 10, 2003

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Liam Neeson, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Henry Thomas, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Martin Scorsese

Official Website: http://www.gangsofnewyork.com/

One of the most awaited films of the year, this epic battle film set in the 1860`s is probably the best ancient times war movie since Gladiator. Director Martin Scorsese puts together a truly remarkable and believable set as Dicaprio and Day-Lewis deliver great roles as Dicaprio returns to the city he was born and where he lost his father to the hands of Day-Lewis` character for revenge.

A tremendous effort was put to create a 1860`s environment. The ambiance is very present and really puts you in the movie. Dicaprio is pretty good, but even better is Daniel Day-Lewis as the enemy with a lot of power and wit. This movie is plenty ambitious but also very violent and raw. A significant amount of film time was dedicated to women exposing their breasts or entire naked body. As a followup, Cameron Diaz doesn`t do a whole lot in this film, including showing any nudity.

However, it does seem like more effort was put in the technical aspects than the actual story. The story in itself is simple and a little predictable and the movie does nothing to change that. That is not necessarily a bad thing, this movie is appearently a true story afterall, but if this movie is going to self proclaim itself as an "epic" movie, it needs a little more depth to the storytelling or plot itself. That being said, Oscars are still on its way for this one, as Hollywood loves ancient time war films, like Gladiator.

If you have a little less than three hours on your hands and don`t mind a little blood and skin, this is a great flick in any context; one of the year`s best!

In short:
Comedy: A few funny comments, else none
Violence/Language: Yes...Plenty
Nudity/Sex:Yes...Plenty. But you Cameron Diaz fans shouldn`t get excited, because she keeps her clothes on : (
High Points: Solid acting, superbe set and cinematography
Low Points: Story too simple and straightforward for such an ambitious epic movie, Predictable

Rating: A-