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We Were Soldiers is an important addition the body of films about the Vietnam War. One important distinction from its predecessors is that this film recognizes the presence of the French Colonials in Vietnam 10 years before the Americans ever arrived. (There was a scene of a French plantation that was cut from the film Apocalypse Now that is now available in the new Redux version on DVD.) Another thing that sets this movie apart is the fact that it deals with the very beginning of the war in 1965, while most other films deal with periods from 1967 to 1970 when the scope of the war had expanded. People expect Vietnam films to be about demoralized draftees who don't want to be there and escape from their hellish reality with drugs. This was certainly true later in the war, but not in 1965. Some other criticisms have been made about the film's dialogue being too flag-waving and jingoistic. I don't believe that these allegations have a lot of merit because in November 1965 the soldiers coming to Vietnam were bright eyed and idealistic in many cases. The draft had not expanded yet and many of the soldiers were volunteers who were anxious to stop the perceived spread of communism. Lines like "I'm glad I was able to die for my country", could certainly have been uttered from the lips of a dying soldier at this early stage of the war. As a Sergeant in the Marine Corps I can certainly attest to the battle sequences harrowing realism. I do not believe these scenes glorify war or violence, but they give us a vivid picture of a literal hell on earth! All the performances by the actors are solid, (except for Chris Klein, who can't act himself out of a paper bag)! When this film was released I saw a daily poll on IMDB ask: What do you think the best movie about Vietnam is? I consider this a hard question to answer because the conflict lasted officially from 1964 to 1973. American involvement went through at least three distinct phases that lasted nine years! Any one film may capture 1 of the 3 phases well, but not the entire conflict! All considered, this film remains true to history and is a testament to the sacrifice and dedication of the American soldier. In any War.

I happened upon Southie one day while browsing through my local video store. Having grown up around Boston I was amazed that I did not hear of it before. Even though the DVD had a very `B' looking cover, I gave it a shot… I was very surprised! Donnie Wahlberg was very convincing as Danny Quinn, a Southie kid who returns home after a self-imposed exile. He finds his family slowly falling apart, and hears the neighborhood beckon him to return to a life of crime. If this sounds familiar, that's because it is! The script suffers from a lack of originality, but the interesting thing is that the dialogue is very well written, even though the theme is well trodden. The acting is also well done: James Cummings plays the film's principle antagonist Joey Ward, and manages not to go over the top, (as many others tend to in gangland films such as this). Rose McGowan is also wonderful as Danny's younger sister Kathy, who battles with alcohol addiction. Finally Lawrence Tierney gives a fine Cameo as a local `good' gangster. The only thing that is noticeably absent in this film is any drug use whatsoever. South Boston like many other urban neighborhoods has had many problems with drugs. The difference is that in Southie most live by a code of silence, and do not like to air dirty laundry about their community, whether it's true or not. That may explain why James Cummings, a South Boston native, didn't include any reference to them. Overall this is a fine film, which I recommend to anyone who enjoys the genre. The DVD also includes one of the best Cast/Director commentaries that I've ever experienced… A real treat!!!