Brilliant performances

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2002)

"Gangs of New York" is everything you've heard it was: dark, dramatic, violent, moving, thought-provoking, and, yes, very long. I felt that Martin Scorsese could have told the same story, with as much gravity, and still cut the movie by 30 minutes. Still, there are really very few spots that drag. While I do not believe it is the best film of the year, it does contain the best performance. Daniel Day-Lewis is amazing as Bill "The Butcher" Cutting. He makes you hate the character, as well as find yourself laughing with his cruel jokes. The character reminded me of "Curly Bill" Brocious (played by Powers Boothe) in "Tombstone", in that he was evil to the core, but still had plenty of charisma. His was not the only character that stood out. Brendan Gleeson breaks out as Monk, and Cameron Diaz gives her best performance to date. The film is good, but not great. The direction should be rewarded, as it is on the scale of "Braveheart" or "Saving Private Ryan". Scorsese balances hundreds of extras and a beautiful set to bring the viewer right into the scenes. The battles are as gruesome as in any movie, but still leave plenty to the imagination. The final camera shot is also powerful, and quite moving as it shows the evolution of New York City. I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys good movies, but was slightly disappointed due to the large build-up. I believe it will still be nominated for Best Picture in the Academy Awards, but feel that the true winners should be Scorsese and Day-Lewis.