"The Age of Innocence" Throwback Review

The costume drama is not a genre one would normally associate with Martin Scorsese. But Scorsese is not a director confined to certain genres. With The Age of Innocence, the man from New York once again illustrates that there is no other filmmaker on his level.

Tender, yet brutal, The Age of Innocence burns with fiery passion while also being extinguished by icy repression. It's a battle of yin-and-yang that Scorsese perfectly balances with his fluid camerawork and sumptuous set design. Often rollicking with the Rolling Stones and Ramones, Scorsese showcases his exquisite musical taste with a fantastic original score by Elmer Bernstein.

But what always separates Scorsese from the pack is the performances he is able to bring out. He always seems to find a new level for even the very best such as Daniel Day-Lewis. Winona Ryder radiates and Michelle Pfeiffer incited yearning with her performance. Never has such a naked performance been given under so many layers of clothes.

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