“Million Dollar Baby” was a last minute addition to the list of 2004 Oscar contenders. In fact, Clint Eastwood’s critically acclaimed boxing drama was so late upon the scene that when brought up in conversation as a possible Best Picture nominee back in early December, the response usually was something along the lines of, “Clint Eastwood has a new movie?”

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Hype machines be damned. Forget the rumors of derision behind the scenes, forget the cost over-runs and lack of onscreen chemistry between two of the leading actors. Forget that Miramax and Harvey Weinstein had anything whatsoever to do with cutting, budgeting or otherwise exercising creative control over the finished product. “Gangs of New York” is pure Scorsese through-and-through and for that audiences should be eternally grateful. We’re not force-fed a toned down, been-there-done-that formula film. Instead Scorsese delivers an epic motion picture showcasing a critical time in our nation’s history.

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Based on a book by Andrew Neiderman, the film centers on a young lawyer who joins a New York firm only to discover that his boss has an increasingly bizarre personality. Written by Erik Schuit {beschuit@xs4all.nl}

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