Not Scorcese's best, but still good

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2008)

Martin Scorcese is rightly considered one of cinema's all-time greatest directors, having made some true classics such as "Taxi Driver" and some great films like "The Aviator." "Gangs of New York" is a good film, but not his best.
William Cutting, aka Bill the Butcher (the brilliant Daniel Day-Lewis), rules over The Five Points, with everyone, including the corrupt politician Boss Tweed (Jim Broadbent) working for him in some way or another. But his control is wavering as Irish immigrants are flooding into the country. Bill hates this, and a rivalry forms over the control of The Five Points between Bill's Nativists, and the immigrants' Dead Rabbits, lead by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). During a bloody battle, Bill kills Priest, and Priest's son, Amsterdam, is sent to an orphanage. Years later, Amsterdam (now played by Leonardo DiCaprio) rises through the ranks of Bill's gang in order to get revenge.
On the surface, this is a simple revenge story. But Scorcese takes us to another time and place, and creates a world that is both violent and whimsical. In a way, it's like Dickens as told by Scorcese.
The acting is solid across the board. Daniel Day-Lewis is outstanding as Bill the Butcher, being both sadistic and human at the same time. He outshines everyone else, but that doesn't mean that everyone else is bad. Leonardo DiCaprio is solid as Amsterdam Vallon, but he's been better. Perhaps the most surprising performance comes from Cameron Diaz. Known mainly for comedy, Diaz throws herself into the role, and while not the BEST performance, she's still great, and more than holds her own against the other thespians. It proves that she has more range than previously thought, and should get more dramatic roles. There are also a lot of familiar faces sprinkled in amongst the ensemble, and all give great performances. Liam Neeson's appearance at the beginning is brief, but it's always refreshing to see him. John C. Reilly, Jim Broadbent, and Brendan Gleeson are also here. Henry Thomas, little Elliot from "ET" is here, all grown up, and it's clear that he hasn't outgrown his acting ability.
The problem is that "Gangs of New York" is overlong, and there are long stretches where it gets kind of boring. The scene where people are trying to rig the votes for sheriff is a case in point. It's too long and feels unnecessary. The action sequences are well-done, but sometimes the cuts are too quick and have some awkward moments. The ending is especially disappointing. It's confusing and pretty messy.
"Gangs of New York" is a solid film, but it's just not as good as it could have been