Hey folks, Harry here... This is the film coming out this Christmas that I'm just dying to see. I read the script ages ago, followed the shoot and the difficult post-production for ages. We covered the initial test screenings, and this one which occurred just last night in Edgewater, New Jersey. This is a film that Scorsese has put a great deal of personal passion into, and has become a legend before it has even been released. And John Doe's report just makes me want to see it more. Here you go...
Harry, John Doe here reporting on one of the coolest nights of my life.
On Friday we went to a theater in Edgewater NJ ( 5 minutes from NYC via the George Washington Bridge) to see the instantly forgettable City By the Sea. After purchasing tickets we were approached by a representative from Miramax who asked us if we were interested in seeing a free movie. Thinking it was either Chicago or some lackluster Dimension fare such as "They" I was initially only slightly curious. But when she told us that the movie was "Gangs of New York" I was psyched to say the least.
Being one of the first people let into the theater on Monday night we sat in the row immediately behind the reserved section. This idea paid dividends as we got to watch the movie a few feet from Martin Scorcese, his editor Thelma Shoonmaker, and Michael Ovitz. Sitting a few rows closer to the screen was none other than Harvey Weinstein himself.
Now to the movie. The plot is exactly what has been described in the press. Amsterdam ( Leonardo DiCaprio ) is a young Irish kid who seeks to avenge the death of his father ( Liam Neeson ) at the hands of William "Bill the Butcher" Cutter ( Daniel Day-Lewis).
Even though we were supposedly not seeing the final cut of the film it was still an amazing experience. There were a few long scenes that I did not mind at all that will probably be trimmed. Even as is this is a sure fire Best Picture nominee.
The movie works because it combines a little talked about yet very important part of history, with great set pieces, and battle scenes that rival Braveheart and Gladiator.
The directing is what you would expect from a master such as Scorcese. He gives us his trademark camera work which are made all the more effective with the tremendous set.
Acting wise DiCaprio turns in a solid performance with memorable supporting turns by Neeson and Jim Broadbent. But the movie belongs to Daniel Day Lewis. His performance cries out for an Oscar the way Benicio Del Toro did 2 years ago. He simply delivers. He plays one scene so perfectly and with such timing that the whole theater including Scorcese in front of us was laughing hysterically.
If there was one thing in the movie that bothered me it was the rushed romance between Amsterdam and Carmen Diaz's Jen. After only meeting once or twice she proclaims her love for him. On a promising note, it did not seem like Scorcese thought it went over very well as he stared at the ceiling for much of this particular scene.
After the film we were able to briefly shake hands with Martin Scorcese as he left. What happened next was the most memorable part of the night. Harvey Weinstein who was outside smoking and seeing Scorcese off asked us what we thought of the film. My friend suggested several things that he thought should be edited and I raved about the casting of Lewis. He then gave us a two minute speech giving parallels between the story and modern day events notably September 11th. He was particularly happy about a shot of the World Trade Center at the end which he said was a "fuck you" ( complete with an up yours gesture ) to "Them". Overall he seems to be very proud of his $100 million dollar investment.
In conclusion this was a very good movie that will become great with some minor editing.
John Doe
