A fine mess

Rating: 6/10 (17 January 2003)

A sprawling, brawling mass of characters and ideas that will be remembered more for the hype and history of its production than for the history it depicts.
Though the movie's scope and intentions are commendable, there's too much forced intimacy between protagonists and not enough about the actual gangs and how they coexisted (or not, as is the actual case). Love interest Cameron Diaz is only interesting when she's picking pockets, but otherwise an utter waste of time. Sadly, DiCaprio's lack of charisma makes him an unconvincing lead and ultimately scuppers the enterprise.
And Daniel Day-Lewis? Oh, he's something else. But I just couldn't take him seriously. His crazy moustache and permanent squint so closely resembled that of Laurel and Hardy regular James Finlayson (who usually played Ollie's father-in-law or similarly cantankerous foil) that I was itching for him to turn to the camera with a well-timed `Doh!'
Which neatly sums up Gangs Of New York Â– a fine mess.