Good but....

Rating: 7/10 (30 December 2002)

There were lots of things to like about this movie but the story line was getting pulled in too many directions. Leo's revenge gets lost amidst the other developments making for a less-than-compelling story line and some anticlimatic moments at the end. Also, many of the scenes showed a gratuitous amount of gore as though Scorcese was doing some sort of homage to Peckinpah. On the plus side were some wonderful characters, some great acting (especially Day-Lewis), and beautiful, evocative sets. I also liked the historical context woven into the story: the macro themes depicted are a little known source of New York's history. I'm giving the movie a good rating but it could have been much better. In the end, the whole added up to less than the parts.