Gangs of New York

Rating: 6/10 (15 November 2005)

From Golden Globe winning, and Oscar nominated director Martin Scorsese, this period crime drama is a very stylised film and quite riveting. The film starts with citizens of New York, led by William 'Bill The Butcher' Cutting (BAFTA winning, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Daniel Day-Lewis), fighting a small war against the Irish immigrants, led by Priest Vallon (a brief Liam Neeson), who is killed by Cutting during the battle. Sixteen years later, his son Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) has returned to New York to avenge his father's death, after learning how to fight. He manages to weave his way into Bill's gang, and becomes a trusted assistant, he also finds himself falling for the girl who Bill used to be involved with, beautiful street-smart thief Jenny Everdeane (Golden Globe nominated Cameron Diaz). Of course, before Amsterdam is able to get to killing Bill, his true identity is exposed, but don't worry, he gets back to him eventually, and he gets revenge during another big battle. Also starring Jim Broadbent as William 'Boss' Tweed, John C. Reilly as Happy Jack, E.T.'s Henry Thomas as Johnny Sirocco, Brendan Gleeson as Walter 'Monk' McGinn, Mean Machine's David Hemmings as Mr. Schermerhorn and Tim Pigott-Smith as Calvinist Minister. Scorsese does do well directing, DiCaprio doesn't exactly get to express himself that much, but he proves a good actor after the hype of Titanic, and Day-Lewis as the intoxicating 'Butcher' is unmissable. The film is bloody and brutal, the costumes are quite innovative for the 1860's, and it is accompanied by great music, including the closing song by U2, "The Hands That Built America", I can see though why the critics re-rated it from four stars to a respectable three out of five, it isn't exactly amazing in terms of storyline, but it certainly isn't rubbish. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Song for U2's "The Hands That Built America" (but it won the Golden Globe), Best Sound, Best Writing, Original Screenplay and Best Picture, it was nominated the BAFTAs for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music for Howard Shore, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Make Up/Hair, Best Production Design, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound, the David Lean Award for Direction and Best Film, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Leonardo DiCaprio was number 94, Daniel Day-Lewis number 85, and Cameron Diaz number 65 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Broadbent was number 23, and Day-Lewis number 20 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, Day-Lewis was number 9 on Britain's Finest Actors, and he was number 15 on The World's Greatest Actor. Good!