Sigh. Marty, Marty, Marty

Rating: 5/10 (13 July 2003)

Geez, what a mess. Far too conventional a plot structure for what could have been an interesting take on a fresh time and place. It's as if Scorsese had directed "Titanic." The choice of leading man doesn't help in this regard. It takes a lot of the viewer to work through Leonardo's acting problems.
As a period piece it works very well - the set design, costumes, etc. are spot on. Daniel Day Lewis is brilliant here, not wasting the rich character he is given. Other bit parts are not bad, but feel a little tacked-on in spots.
The primary problem, IMHO, is the off-the-shelf plot. It's more Hollywood epic than vintage Scorsese. There are very few surprises here and a lot of disappointment at an opportunity lost.