Research the Five Points before watching this film

Rating: 6/10 (28 January 2011)

This is one of those movies that is very deep, has a lot going on at the same time, and demands your full attention. But one thing that it also requires is a historical knowledge of this time period. Without that knowledge, the movie isn't worth much to the viewer. You may also find yourself lost and even wondering why anyone likes this film.
I will start off this review with the positive aspects of the film.
1. The acting. Daniel-Day Lewis put together his best performance since "My Left Foot". He plays the antagonist and does a superb job of making you loathe him. The greasy hair, the ridiculous outfits, the smug look on his face, that arrogant walk, and even his manner of speaking makes him repulsive. His image alone makes you want to curl up your fist and smash his face in. He is truly the ultimate villain. Even many of the smaller roles are played quite well. The actor selection for this movie is amazing, save the selection of Cameron Diaz. Don't get me wrong, Diaz surprisingly performed her part well. But with Scorsese, you'd expect a better selection of actress. Nonetheless, she easily put in her best performance ever.
2. This film does a fine job depicting this specific time period in New York. The story is important and is actually quite relevant today. Based on the description of this movie on the back cover of the DVD, I figured this movie was just about the Irish. But it's not. It is also about civil rights, the poor, the corrupt, and is a testimony to the history of New York. This is a story that needed to be told and it was put together quite well. The set designer deserves credit for putting together an excellent representation of a Civil War era New York.
Here are the problems with this film:
1. It is still rather bland and lengthy. The movie is more informative than entertaining. While the movie definitely has tense moments, irony, foreshadowing, and amazing acting it still doesn't have much of a climax. The climax also quickly fizzles.
2. The movie has so much going on that it becomes quite confusing. I commend the director for using visual aids such as flashbacks to try to clarify the film. But it is still hard to follow. With so many events going on and so many different groups fighting, it's hard to keep track of the whole point of the film. At the end of the movie plenty of people will be left wondering what just happened and what purpose this film holds.
This movie is still worth watching. But like I stated earlier, please do a little research before watching this movie. Do a quick study on the Five Points, the Civil War, and immigration during the Civil War era. You will appreciate the film much more if you know what is going on.