Entertaining movie, but Scorcese's done better.......

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2004)

Certainly this is a well done movie. Big budget, A-list stars, one of the world's best directors. Much has been said of the authentic town reconstruction, well done cinematography. Is it one of my favorite films after seeing it? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes I did, but I wouldn't be in a rush to see it again anytime soon. Perhaps a couple of years from now I'll re-watch it and enjoy it more without the expectations that I had going in to the movie. What problems did I have with the movie? Well, it does suffer from what so many movies of our age suffer from and that is that it doesn't know when to end. It's an awfully long movie. I also felt the movie had a very closed in feeling to it which was a result of Scorcese's decision to shoot as much of the movie as possible in the recreated set made for the movie. Personally I think this choice backfired to a certain degree. Sure you want to present an authentic setting (hence the reason for the realistic set) HOWEVER scene after scene set in the same sets and streets unfortunately gave the film the impression that the budget was in fact smaller than it was and that the whole movie was forced to use these sets because they couldn't afford location shots. It's like they shot the movie on a really cool looking back lot set which is I'm sure the opposite of what Scorcese was trying to accomplish. Ex, there's one scene in particular, where Cameron Diaz's character goes to another part of the city. You only get to see this set once, yet just by virtue of the fact that you're seeing a different locale was a welcome relief. I would have had more shots down by the docks, etc. Just because people lived in those crowded areas doesn't mean that they wouldn't venture to parks, the water's edge, etc to escape the over crowding. Well that overcrowding and constant focus on these built sets gave the film a low budget feel which is ironic of course since the sets cost so much to build. Certainly the casting of Diaz is troubling. Not a highly versatile actress she does what she can but her presence still strikes a jarring modern note while book-ended by the highly talented DiCaprio & Day Lewis immersing themselves in period feel. Where's Cate Blanchett when you need her? I know the movie was well liked when it came out and it is a good movie, but I suspect that over the years, much of the fanfare of this movie (similar to Saving Private Ryan) will die down and it will take its proper place in film history as a good movie that could have been so much more.