Amusing Reactions

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2003)

Others crying "Worst Film of The Year!", "Utter CRAP!!", and "Shamefully Awful!!" make want to laugh. The fact is, Scorcese could direct a better film IN HIS SLEEP than ninety per cent of the cookie-cutter crap that floats down the Hollywood pike. Gangs has flaws, most definitely, but in all honesty it seems as though many were sharpening their knives before the film even recieved general release, salivating at the prospect of tearing apart a fallen cinematic great. Arguments levelled against it? A mish-mash of themes-welcome to new York, births of cities-and countries over all-don't come through easy-to-label moral triumphs. Unnecessary voice-over-I'll concede ground on this one. Overly long-Jeezum Crow, if you can't sit through three hours then you shouldn't go to the cinema. Nothing happened-the total, absolute opposite of the film; in fact, the film crammed so much in that it felt rushed at points. Historically innaccurate-I'd wager that Scorcese and those involved know roughly 100% more than anyone here about the birth of NY. Overly romanticised-the subplot with Diaz WAS superfluous, I'll give you that, but when you've got a character as complex in both subtelty and grandeur as Bill Cutting, thee's more than enough to outweigh that negative. Flawed, but still astonishing and above 95% of film-making today, GONY is a must-see. Don't be swayed by the gleeful nay-sayers, chattering away as if they're the be-all end-all of movie-going knowledge. 10/10