Day-Lewis makes the difference

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2003)

I enjoyed Gangs of New York - or should I say I enjoyed Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of William Cutting? Day-Lewis was stunning and he was the reason Gangs of New York was able to rise above competent to be classed as a good movie.
Plenty has been written about the performance of Day-Lewis, and he was indeed worthy of the highest praise. Some stunning scenes were created on the back of his acting; for me it was the perfect marriage of character and actor. In comparison, DiCaprio was workmanlike and fairly flat, but not disastrous. Diaz, however, was a casting mistake - she made a promising character seem one-dimensional.
I feel the biggest problem with the movie is the questionable pacing. The final quarter in particular seems to fly by. The screenplay seemed to over-emphasise the personal affairs of Amsterdam (DiCaprio) to the detriment of the wider picture. However, this is one exciting looking movie, a real visual treat which belongs on the big screen.
Overall, the movie is somewhat inconsistent but has some memorable and powerful scenes; Daniel Day-Lewis adds huge value. For me, a 4 out of 5 effort. My first two movies of the year, City of God and Gangs of New York proved to be a satisfying start to the year and fill me with much hope for 2003.