Opened: December 20, 2002

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Henry Thomas, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Lewis, Stephen Graham, Eddie Marsan, Alex McCowen, David Hemmings, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Cara Seymour, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Barbara Bouchet, Michael Byrne, John Sessions, Richard Graham & Giovanni Lombardo Radice

Though a bit messy and longer than necessary, Gangs of New York is an epic film telling a lost story of America’s past.

Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson) is killed by Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis) as the Protestants take control in the Five Points of New York over the Irish Catholics. Years later, Vallon’s son Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) returns to his former home to take vengeance on his father’s killer.

Set in the time of the Civil War, watching the tensions between the gangs but also separately between the poor and the rich as conscription starts sets up a thrilling narrative.

Day-Lewis is brilliant, but anyone who speaks with an Irish accent that doesn’t inherently have one struggles. You’ll forget at times both DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz are playing Irish.

Final say: Would be a great with some fine tuning. ★★★☆☆