GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002) - 2nd time

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards:

Best Picture

Best Director: Martin Scorsese

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Original Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Editing

Best Art Direction

Best Costume Design

Best Music, Original Song

Best Sound

The film is lucky it can rest on the shoulders of Daniel Day-Lewis, who is quite spectacular, so much so that his performance hugely elevates the entire film. It’s delicious acting, playful yet calculated, twisted and perverted, it draws you into the character and makes all the other actors feel like they don’t belong in it.

If you put aside the beginning and the ending, there’s actually a great film in there. Something unusual for most films, the large middle of the movie is what succeeds the most, as a revenge story, as a showcase of Daniel’s talents. The last hour feels mostly unnecessary, ambiguous in its message, as if it feels like it wants to say something, but not sure what, and featuring way too much of Leo.

My rating of the film is based mostly on Daniel, the costumes & set decoration and the cinematography. I found some of Scorsese’s directing choices to be quite uninspired.

I give it: 8/10

IMDB LINK