Dust off a spot next to "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas" and make room for "Gangs of New York".

Rating: 9/10 (17 March 2003)

GANGS OF NEW YORK
MPAA: Rated R Runtime: 166 minutes
Tagline: "America Was Born In The Streets"
CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson, John C. Reilly, David Hemmings, and Henry Thomas
WRITTEN BY: Jay Cocks ("The Age of Innocence"), Steven Zaillan ("Schindler's List"), Kenneth Lonergan ("You Can Count On Me")
DIRECTED BY: Martin Scorsese ("Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas")
PLOT: The year is 1863 and the setting is New York's five points, which is historically considered the most violent part of the world at the time. The film's back story deals with the conflict between "native" gangs and Irish immigrant gangs, as the forefront of the film delves into the character of Amsterdam Vallon (Leonard DiCaprio), who seeks revenge against Bill "The Butcher" (Daniel Day-Lewis), his father's killer. REVIEW: Compelling. That is one word that you could use to describe Martin Scorsese's epic film, "Gangs of New York". Other words you could use are mesmerizing, brilliant and all those other fancy words that critics like to use on such Oscar nominated films. But this time, these words are appropriate and well deserved.
"Gangs of New York," which was originally conceived back in 1978, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day Lewis, who is absolutely brilliant. Ahh, there's that word again! But yet, it is true. Daniel Day-Lewis' performance of Bill "The Butcher" is one of the most amazing performances in quite sometime. And though, Lewis steals every scene he's in, the supporting cast is also quite effective. Most notably, Jim Broadbent as William Tweed, Cameron Diaz as Jenny, and Liam Neeson is excellent in his brief turn as Priest Vallon. But don't forget the meticulous screenplay, the detailed set designs and the impeccable direction of Martin Scorsese, who surprisingly has yet to win a Best Director Oscar. However, I will have my fingers crossed for him (and Daniel Day-Lewis) on March 23rd.
OVERALL: Dust off a spot next to "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas" and make room for "Gangs of New York". ***1/2 (out of 4 stars)