Gangs of New York - 9 stars out of 10

Gangs of New York - 9 stars out of 10

"Gangs of New York" is one of the most impressive period pieces out there, immediately transporting you to 19th century New York City and engulfing you into the world ruled by Bill the Butcher.  The cast list is packed with renowned actors, from Liam Neeson's brief role at the beginning to DiCaprio, Diaz (who I did not want to strangle and actually enjoyed), Reilly, and Broadbent.  The feature actor of the film is Daniel Day-Lewis who, inspite of his mustache, earned his Oscar nod with emotional monologues and intense conflict.  Although the film is only loosely based on true events, the sets and costumes truly preserve 1860's New York.  The film is long but Scorsese's Oscar-nominated directing makes it easy to stay "into it" for the duration of the film.  This is a film that you don't want to miss.