Shafted Big Time by the Academy

Rating: 9/10 (14 October 2003)

Yep, I said it, and if you've seen it, you should understand why. The fact that a movie this good could not even take home one oscar out of ten nominations is unfathomable, and is indicative of the huge flaws that go towards deciding these awards. I understand that Gangs was an unpopular movie because of it's incredibly violent themes, but the sentimentality the Academy has towards movie-musicals is a ridiculous justification of how trite films like Chicago can win Best Picture.
And i'm not saying Gangs should have won either. In my opinion, Gangs of New York, Lord of the Rings, The Pianist, and The Hours were all far superior to Chicago in terms of artistic merit. I am even willing to concede that as a movie, Gangs is far from perfect. It doesn't always stick to the plot, and sometimes abandons the story entirely and gives a historical perspective on the era from a documentarian's point of view, sometimes good, sometimes lagging.
But I think we can all agree on the artistic elements of the movie. How could the costuming, set design, and overall artistic direction of the film go so overlooked?! Artistically, it was one of the most beuatiful things I had seen onscreen in a long time. No doubt.
I hate the Academy.