Gangs of New York
Working once again in the mean streets of New York City -- this time at their creation -- Martin Scorsese pulls off yet another tough, brutal urban epic. Interestingly, the sweeping, lavish production and the impressive attention to detail actually portray the personal story of two warring factions in the crime-ridden Five Points area, lead by Daniel Day-Lewis (in a wild, impressive performance) and, eventually, Leonardo DiCaprio. All the actors portray their parts admirably, but this is really Scorsese's show. His grand images of a city and nation in its infancy transport the viewer back to those days brilliantly, even as the final act of the three hour film seems a tad underdeveloped -- even rushed (reportedly, a year was spent cutting the film in post production). Although the film doesn't quite reach the highs of Scorsese's greatest, it remains a vibrant, highly charged experience that should be seen, and on the big screen. Like a Merchant-Ivory film loaded with Dickensian squalor and blood-soaked truth, Gangs of New York is as much a melting pot as the city itself.
*** out 4 stars

Adaptation
More accessible (and less artificially smug) than Being John Malkovich, the new film from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze is an entertaining high-wire act about self-discovery and the artistic process featuring some truly great acting by Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper. In dual roles as the film's actual screenwriter Kaufman and his dunderheaded but well-meaning brother, Cage captures both the torture of the heart and the cruelty of fate known to anyone who's ever seriously given writing a try. Streep does her usual good work, and Cooper nearly steals the film with his unusual character, a cross between backwoods-okie and passsionate-genuis. Much of the film's entertainment value comes from wondering exactly how much of the self-referential storyline is based on reality (opening moments take place behind-the-scenes on the Malkovich set), as well as the bizarrely interesting turns the third act takes. Unusual, and even a little moving.
***

Far From Heaven
Easily one of the best films of the year. Beautifully crafted and dramatically delivered, director Todd Haynes' work dazzles with period-perfect detail and cinematic intelligence. The less one knows about the film going in, the better -- the element of surprise is a tangible aspect of this story. Imagine a 1950's Hollywood movie tackling issues that even current Hollywood filmmakers still shy away from. Everything about Far From Heaven is top-notch; the stellar performances by Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert, the amazing music score by legendary Elmer Bernstein, the dialogue, editing and cinematography. Any real fan of cinema would be doing themselves a disservice by missing it, while the more casual movie fan could learn a lot from it.
****

Catch Me If You Can
The "sons and fatherhood" theme notwithstanding, Steven Spielberg's latest offering is probably the least-Spielbergian film he has yet made. Eschewing his usual show stopping mechanics in favor of a more handheld, workman-like style, he mixes things up and fashions a cocktail of light comedy and manhunt drama in this story of a 19 year-old con man (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the U.S. Treasury Officer on his tail (Tom Hanks). From the opening title sequence that perfectly captures the film's whimsically adventurous tone to the jazzy/orchestral music by John Williams, the movie sets out to do nothing more than entertain, which it does. DiCaprio's combination of criminal intent and youthful exuberance gets more than a few smiles, while the always reliable Hanks' no-nonsense turn is yet another breath of fresh air. Special congratulations go to Christopher Walken, who turns in such a light and enjoyable performance that another Oscar nomination is practically in the bag.
***

About Schmidt
Here's a true reviewer's paradox -- Jack Nicholson is great in practically every film he's in, but how can one recommend a movie with so much emotional baggage it makes you want to jump through the nearest window? Schmidt (Nicholson) feels he's wasted his life and goes on an emergency Winnebago road-trip: both in search of himself and to halt the wedding of his daughter (Hope Davis) to a less-than-together mattress salesman. While the performances are intriguing and Jack is front-and-center for nearly the whole film, every other character is truly grotesque with very little likeability (except for Kathy Bates, who is so sarcastic and cranky it's nearly impossible not to crack a smile). Schmidt's adventure is both terribly sad and curiously pointless until the very last scene which comes across as too little, too late. The world in Alexander Payne's film is a depressing place to be, full of suburban horror shows that would be truly exhausting if they didn't ring so true. Then again, just because one holds up a mirror to the American "dream" doesn't make it any more entertaining, especially without offering any real insights to leaven the sorrow.
**

Narc
Working in familiar territory, Ray Liotta and Jason Patric tear up the criminal underbelly of a wintry Detroit in this police drama that is at once wrenching in its intensity and just a little bit over-familiar. After a harrowing opening sequence involving Patric's narcotics officer in a bust gone bad (which features the most blood-curdling scream I think I've ever heard), he is given a choice: remain off the force or team up with Liotta (as a mad dog cop with revenge on his mind) to find the killers of Liotta's old partner. While Narc sometimes feels like a gritty drama in the style of William Friedkin's The French Connection and especially Sidney Lumet's underrated Q&A, it doesn't quite achieve the highs of those films -- but that's not for lack of trying. Director Joe Carnahan keeps the immediacy and anger high; what he's missing is a fresh perspective. The routine "arguments with cop and his wife" and "cop trashes his office in frustration" scenes often battle the movie's immersive quality that tries to keep the viewer in it's grip. When the mechanics of the actual crime are finally laid out for us, they're illustrated in three such varying ways that we almost don't know whose story to believe or who to feel for. Still, it's a cold and steely ride all the way through and is recommended for those who enjoy movies about tough cops in a tough world.
***

-Matt Goltz