Gangs of new york

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I really don't know how to go about describing my thoughts on this movie. Maybe I'll start out with the "look" and go from there. Save for the MTV-style opening fight sequence, each scene had interesting visual composition and rustic beauty. The costumes and sets looked as if they had been meticulously crafted. The visual style successfully conveyed a feeling of pain and griminess.
The plot really isn't that compelling nor is it original. It's just the basic revenge by a son whose father was killed. Only this time, the son masquerades as an apprentice to gain the trust of his father's killer in order to "get close." Pardon me while I slap the side of my face with my mouth agape in wonder of the literary ingenuity. The backstory between Liam Neesons's and Dan-Day Lewis's characters was more interesting.
The casting is the shining spectacle of this film. However, it's only a spectacle in a sense akin to a 50 foot golden dildo being paraded down 1st avenue. On one hand you have Dan-Day Lewis portraying a villainous character so well that you'd actually root for the bad guy if not for the warped prejudice displayed by the character. On the other hand you have DiCaprio who is far more believable playing a mentally retarded character (Arnie Grape in What's Eating Gilbert Grape). Cameron Diaz plays the "female lead" in the film. Her character is a coniving, shallow, and materialistic woman from start to finish. Her character never shows emotional growth and it probably would have made for a better film if she had been written out of the script. It's an onscreen romance that is solely based on the superficial qualities of each of the actors (I said actors, not characters).
After viewing this movie I'm left with the urge to sue for lost time. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I just don't know. Perhaps this is one of those films that on subsequent viewings will unfold into an engaging classic. That and perhaps cheese will lower cholesterol one day....
Tom Â§.

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Topic - Gangs of new york - Tom §. 06:47:13 07/07/03 (8)

Re: Gangs of new york - blake 13:48:28 07/14/03 (0)

Re: Gangs of new york - townsend 17:04:47 07/13/03 (0)

Re: Gangs of new york - Ears 15:12:07 07/07/03 (1)

Re: Gangs of new york - Tom §. 09:59:15 07/09/03 (0)

Re: Gangs of new york - caa 09:56:45 07/07/03 (3)

Re: Gangs of new york or commercial versus art... - patrickU 05:25:09 07/08/03 (2)

I wonder if anyone will watch it! 4 hours of gang-bangers of NY! - albee33 16:23:09 07/08/03 (1)

I suppose...no. But it would have been what the director did intend....nt - patrickU 07:33:50 07/09/03 (0)

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