Gangs of New York

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2006)

Many people don't like this movie but I think there is at least one thing that you just have to adore about it: That's the love and ambition the filmmakers, and especially Martin Scorsese, put into it. To be honest, I can't think of any other movie which wants to include so many different parts to a story as "Gangs of New York". But therein lies the dilemma: The things I love it for are also the reason why it fails. When it's great it's extraordinary great and that's almost always the case when Daniel Day-Lewis is on screen. There is an almost magical moment, when Day-Lewis is sitting by the bed of Leonardo DiCaprio with a flag around his chest. The following dialogue is frightening and touching at the same time. You forget about what an extremely brutal guy Bill is and only see this man who has found a son. But there are parts in the script that just don't work, as great as they would be on their own. Another thing is that some characters seem to stay unfinished (for example Cameron Diaz) so you can't really connect.