A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Reviews

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this flick but since there was a really nice cast involved, I was quite eager to check it out. On top of that, it was definitely one of the best titles ever conceived for a movie. First of all, even though I had seen already 3 other movies directed by Dito Montiel ('Fighting', 'The Son of No One' and 'Empire State'), I actually had no idea that the guy was actually first a successful writer (in fact, before that, he was also a musician and even a model at some point). Well, even though the whole thing was nothing original, it was still a really solid biographical drama and easily by far the best movie delivered by Montiel so far. Indeed, he managed to create some interesting characters who felt really genuine and he also succeeded in getting some pretty intense performances from the whole cast, especially with Shia LaBeouf and Channing Tatum. I also did appreciate the fact that, even though these characters would often get in trouble, they were not necessarily some criminals which was rather refreshing. Still, with Montiel writing the book, the screenplay, directing the movie and having no less than 2 actors playing  him, the whole thing still felt slightly like an ego-trip, especially with such a title. Another small detail that slightly bothered me was the fact that Robert Downey Jr., Eric Roberts and Rosario Dawson were all supposed to play characters around the same age when Roberts  must be about twice older than Dawson. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing really groundbreaking, I really enjoyed this flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

How much time allotted to us to life? What we should do in this life good to remember our long journey for many, not dissolved in this world, but remained in people's minds, like one tiny letters, but an interesting one page long book. The question being, a matter of time, attitude of everyone who walks on this earth. Everyone chooses their own way, which is already too late to do it. Correct this way, or not, decides the man himself. The man - vehicle of hope, an individual, not like the others, is always different. We choose how to achieve victory. We have met their needs, interests and tastes. We are looking at the stars, literally from the bottom, and marveled their wondrous beauty. "My God, how beautiful" - we say. "Is there life on these small, emitting glitter points?". We have a sense in which the principal place of our actions. Feelings that can attract the good, and repel bad. Love and hate.

Love? What a great word love. When you hear it, you want almost immediately to say something, but most often, my throat is dry, and the man falls into a reverie. "Whom do I love? Those who gave me life "- that's what I think will answer all of you in the first place. The people who created you. People who were happy with your first steps and first achievements ... Parents. They are all.

The young and very rowdy-dowdy boy named Dito, a small, but quite a criminal district of New York. He did not particularly different from all the people. But on that it wants to stop the view in the picture, which shows us the director. Dito, just as we all have parents, has friends, girlfriend, pocket money. What else is needed for happiness usual, does not pretend to something more teens? Responsibility for all those around Dito very developed within it. He knows what is friendship, family, relatives. But life is very tricky and unpredictable, you never know what is expected of her to wait ...

Feelings Dito, throughout the action, begin to fade, somewhere to disappear, disappear. The number of problems, which in life is unavoidable, cover very much, that he acquired over the years. Something dies inside him, something is born. But until the last frame of this little life fit into a hundred minutes, showed us inside the viewer will burn the hope, that extinguished flame inside Dito, will light up again. Ogonek, whose name - conscience. Ogonyok, once extinct, can be more effort to try to light again, great effort, heart and soul.

This realistic, sensual and saturated with a lot of sense the story gave us Dito Montel. This story is about him. About the fact that he survived. The history that survived by his parents, friends. People who themselves have experienced action and which reproduce them in his own movie, does better than anyone else can show them. With every minute the story deeper and deeper takes the viewer into the depths. Montel does not try to bring the usual things with sharp editing, effects, music. It is quite out of place.

The film is imbued with feelings, emotions, feelings. These are the main components of the story which can teach each of us something new, perhaps not yet clear. Open your eyes to the core values in our lives. Help never falter from the mistakes of others, and assimilate them, and try to remember never to commit.

Who in our lives parents? Perhaps this question Dito Montel raises a fundamental question in the film. It is easy, and most importantly affordable way trying to convey the relationship between parents and children. Show that it is in childhood, we make many mistakes, as always somewhere in a hurry. A lot do not know much want to get, but nothing to lose. Childhood - the most expressive phase of human life. It is the easiest, most peaceful, happy, carefree. But even as a child, you can destroy something you do not forgive himself until the very end of his life.

Throw yourself, throw their relatives. At an early age to close their eyes to the many unresolved problems, conflicts, disputes, disagreements. Running much looking eyes. Running to find peace, and create a permanent concern and anguish to his parents. Parents who from the very beginning of your life together with you built from tiny actions, decisions and wishes of a small ship. The ship on which they once wanted to imprison you, and let go with the longest river, full of adventure, love and happiness. River, which is called life. That rough, then quiet. And the dirty and clean.

And God forbid, all of us, dare to throw their loved ones, away for a long time in the shade, and only after many years, to hear the telephone is painfully familiar, quiet, and very excited voice:

"Hello dear. You do not know? That's me. Your mom ... "

On unplanned procrastination:
In the beginning, maybe in the first or second chapter of the video, there's this semi-fuck scene and since I was watching in a bedroom with two other sleeping people (my Mom and my niece), I thought it was okay to watch it without skipping to the next chapter. But it was getting dirtier and so I decided to peek if my Mom was really slumbering (supposedly) and to my effing surprise, her eyes were open like hell. I instantly stopped and turned of the video player and prayed that she won't accuse me of watching too much "evil" films. It took almost a week to finally finish this movie.

On saints and sinners:
Happily, the whole of it wasn't entirely fucking, haha. It was about Dito Montiel's (Downey) reminiscence of his teenage-hood in Astoria, Queens, with his four lowlife friends and girlfriend, Laurie (Dawson). He lived a perfectly rotten life where thugs and punks roam in the neighborhood who vandalize graffiti on every wall. After a series of shitty events, he finally decided to pursue his dream as a writer in L.A. He left his parents and never went back for 15 years. Dito convinced himself that he has been saved from his friends' fate by his saints. He was able to escape the hellish grounds of his hometown. But then, he had to visit his gravely sick father, Monty (Palminteri), who still had a heavy heart against his own son. Little did Montiel know that his so-called saints were his friends who, in the end, were still there to look out after him.

On the lack of:
The entire movie was okay, but I was expecting more of Rosario Dawson's appearance since I likey like her in Sin City and 25th Hour. But since this is a flashback kind of movie, each actor's appearance depends on which tense is turned on. And here, there were more past tense than the present. Shia LaBeouf is brilliant here, though.

Postscript:
I’m giving this six sinister stars since I think it’s, somehow, worth the seeing. Guiseppe’s attempt to soften his brother’s Antonio’s heart as he lies down on the railways is super funny: he ended up in the coffin. Scottish accent is always love. Conversely, the never ending cuss words are irritating. Plus, the young Laurie is butt-ugly.

A coming-of-age drama about a boy (Shia Labeouf) growing up in Astoria, N.Y., during the 1980s. As his friends end up dead, on drugs or in prison, he comes to believe he has been saved from their fate by various so-called saints.

The first half hour is a little disjointed, but give it a chance, I assure you by the end you'll have been touched by the depth of its emotion and gripped by it's guts and grit. Shia Labeouf is really starting to impress me.