I didn't like The New World at all, but that was in great part due to the abysmal performance of Colin Farrell.

I thought the Thin Red Line was fantastic, esp. in how it managed to portrait the angst and fear of the soldiers. I also liked the characters, but I have to admit that it didn't really tell a compelling story. At times it felt like we were shown random images / scenes from the pacific war, but I didn't mind that so much since the atmosphere / visuals / sound / soundtrack / acting was great IMO. 

Ive been watching it, and I have to say its not as good as band of brothers.

It is by no means bad, but I think it tripped up quite badly at the very beginning and took about 4 or 5 episodes to recover. Basicly it spends next to no time introducing any characters before the fighting starts, and only really starts digging into characters at about episode 4 or 5 (I forget which).

Compared with BoB, this really annoyed me as I was invested into a lot of the characters before they even fired a shot, whereas here they get into there first fire-fight and I really didnt give a shit who got killed/wounded. It was just a fight...

production values are very very high however (just like BoB), and once the characters do get fleshed out more it becomes a much better experience. 

What DaZ said sums up my problem with TP. 

which version of New World have you seen? There's a 40 or so min longer version available on dvd/blu.

Now I'm not sure if it will be a converting 40 min, it came across as more scenes for those that liked the original cut of the film, but worth checking out.

Thin Red Line, no dispute over visuals/sound and their combination, I just didnt like the rest of it.

Daz, I did read there was a lot more action than drama in The Pacific over BoB, which I find surprising because I thought BoB had plenty of action for action junkies anyway. 

I saw it at the Berlin Film Festival, I guess it must have been the shorter version. I doubt that the longer version would win me over, since it will contain even more of Colin Farrels face, but then again, it may be worth a try. 

is close to 3 hrs, but yeah I dont think its a converting cut like say Kingdom of Heaven (which turns a terrible film into a brilliant one). But you do also get more visuals and atmosphere so worth checking out. 

Will do it's been a while, and maybe I'll see it with different eyes now. 

AWESOME crime movie.
has some parallels to scarface in the 'rising criminal' line, but done in a stark realist way - the 'initiation' and the scenes leading up to it are some of the most intense I've seen in ages.
Has more than a touch of goodfella's in it too.
oh and the violence is pretty great - you feel it, and it isn't pleasant. 

yeah modern crime classic IMHO (as Is aid above somewhere I think). 

Hey, any reccomendations of similar stuff for me? 

at work right now, will post when I get home. 

Besides GOAT and Rififi

BTW

Scorsese�s last four films have all been overlong Oscar bait. I blame Kevin Costner for making Dances With Wolves, which beat Goodfellas. Losing the prize to a human cocker spaniel changed Scorsese�s style thereafter for the worse. If they�d rewarded him for Goodfellas he�d still be making gritty, uncompromising films full of funny-looking New York actors. Try watching Goodfellas followed by The Aviator sometime, it�s ecstasy to despair in under 5 hours. 

*The Departed is still good though 

its definitely not Goodfellas league but its the best he's done since Casino IMHO (although I do also like Departed and Bringing out the Dead too).

Back to crime drama recommendations in a bit. Although dont know what you mean by GOAT off the top of my head. 

some you would have probably seen. Some better than others but all at least good.

13 Tzameti(2005)
El Aura (2005)
A Bittersweet Life (2005)
Exiled (2006)
Inside Man (2006)
American Gangster (2007)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
The Lookout (2007)
Mad Detective (2007)
The Chaser (2008)
Gomorrah (2008)
In Bruges (2008)
Sin City (2005)
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)
This is England (2006)
Zodiac (2007)
No Country for Old Men (2007)

And although I havent seen it yet, I have heard very good things about the french 2 parter Mesrine (2009), parts 1 and 2. 

Being italian, I'm really curious about what you foreign guys think of this. I personally thought it was brilliant, if a little detached from what you'd expect from a movie...

Anyone care to elaborate? Nitin? 

I didnt think it was brilliant overall, I just didnt think the 5 stories meshed well together, but it was definitely at least very good and contained a number of excellent scenes some of which were quite distrubing I thought (little boy's initiation and the 2 youths with weapons come to mind).

Adn definitely anti-Goodfellas/Scarface in style, theres no glamorising going on here. 

... Maybe my judgement is a little bit biased by the disturbingly real description of facts, which are as close to a news documentary as can possibly be.

I completely agree about the disjunction of the stories, but I took it as intentional, as a real life mirror, where stories are not necessarily connected, yet, when put together, tell a lot about the social environment where they grow and breed.

And, for sure, the effect of the movie is severely diminished by translation, given the very strict dialect spoken throughout. In fact, this is another point that gets me curious: has it been dubbed at all, or only subtitled? (I found the trailer, I see it's subtitled, which is a good thing).

Speaking of Italy, crime(on a much higher level) and Toni Servillo, you may want to check out "Il divo", another very good "true" story about one of the most controversial political figures in Italy. Servillo is just amazing. 

the disjunction was deliberate but I just didnt think it worked that well. I can see why it was done but I just didnt find it effective personally.

Its not dubbed, whatever unusual dialect of italian they are speaking (its not like any italian I have ever come across) remains intact.

Il Divo is already on the "eventually to watch" list :) 

Defendor (2009)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1303828/

A mixture of happy and sad like all those "dumb person movies". Very likable characters. Slow and careful. I laughed and then I was super sad. Overall a feel good movie that makes you think. Bit thick at times. Soundtrack good with some bad parts.

Recommended.

I wonder why Michael Kelly felt so familiar, none of his movies ring a bell to me. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446672/ 

He was in Generation Kill. 

Anyone seen Pursued (1947)?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039737/

Recommendation or should I pass? Please say if it ends depressing or something. 

no.

Any particular reason for your interest though?

If it's because of Raoul Walsh, I'd suggest strating with White Heat or The Roaring Twenties.

If it's because of Robert Mitchum, I'd recommend Out of the Past, The Big Steal, Night of the Hunter, Crossfire or Cape Fear.

If it's anohter reason, ignore the above :) 

Oh, it just "became available" if you know what I mean. Don't know any of those names or movies. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295640/

Opinions? I really like some his other movies.