A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)

My favorite movie of the year, thus far. While it might not leave any long-lasting impact on society or even win an Academy Award, it is one of the most impressive character-driven films that I have ever seen. Granted, there are a number of films in the same "coming of age" genre and some have done an even better job than this one, but such are rare and have probably come once in a generation. This one is ours.

Set in Brooklyn, New York, the story is about one man, Dito (Robert Downey Jr.), reflecting on his adolescence (Shia LeBouf) through a personal memoir. It continuously shifts between past and present as one moment we see an adult Dito paying a visit to his old neighborhood and the next we are in that very same place during his younger years with his friends, a group of rough teens with nothing better to do than cause trouble for everyone around them. It strikes at you emotionally, as you grow to like each of the characters only to see the majority of their lives worsen with every scene. It is a depressing movie.

It has the darker 80's feel to it. Like "The Warriors" kind of a backdrop. Grimy. I like those stupid old movies a lot, so this was just perfect.

I don't want to give anything away, because I don't want to ruin such a good movie for anyone that might want to see it. It originally came out for the Sundance Film Festival and was finally released in Washington nearly six months later. As far as I know, it's only playing at Lincoln Square, but without a doubt it's worth the trip and the extra dollar or so.

Fmovies: A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS may not be on everyone's list of great films of 2006 but it most assuredly should be. In a time when the bulk of films that come across the marquis are empty headed fluff (with of course notable exceptions), little films like this autobiographical coming of age story in Queens in the 1980s by the accomplished yet very humble Dito Montiel make an initial impact on the viewer, then hang around the psyche with memories of cinematic moments as well as fresh looks at our own lives like few other films can achieve.

Dito Montiel wrote his memoir, adapted it for the screen and directed it, each step being a first one for this very talented young man. His story on the surface is simple: a childhood and coming of age of Dito and his friends as they face the crime and drugs and love affairs and deaths of living in the line of poverty. Dito (an astonishingly fine Shia LaBeouf) has a cadre of friends that include Scottish Mike (Martin Compston), crazy Nerf (Peter Anthony Tambakis), firebrand Antonio (Channing Tatum in yet another fiery and sensitive performance), Antonio's unfortunate brother Giuseppe (Adam Scarimbolo), and girls Laurie (Melonie Diaz) and Diane (Julia Garro). The boys face gang trouble with the Puerto Rican gang Reapers, parental abuse as in Antonio's father (Federico Castelluccio), parental love as with Dito's parents Monty (Chazz Palminteri) and Flori (Dianne Wiest).

As their world in Queens comes tumbling down with tragic consequences Dito decides to leave for California. And leave he does, not returning for twenty years to the place where he successfully survived a childhood due to the 'saints' he didn't recognize until the father with whom he has not communicated in the interim has reached his end. The past and the present are woven together throughout the film with the flash forward, flash back sequences: the older successful writer Dito is played by Robert Downey, Jr.; Antonio (imprisoned for his beating death of the head of the Reapers) is Eric Roberts; Laurie now married is Rosario Dawson; Nerf now is Scott Michael Campbell: and Dito's parents remain makeup-aged Palminteri and Wiest. It is this blend of the past as revealed by the present that makes Montiel's film work so well. They manner in which he creates the magic of near extemporaneous speech with this amazing cast creates a sense of grit, verismo, and profound love and loss. Conversations such as the ones between little Dito and Monty, between the mature Dito and Flori and Lauri and Antonio - all are minor miracles of writing and acting. Montiel may be a first time director but he has drawn some of the finest work ever from Palminteri, Wiest, Downey, Dawson, Tatum, Roberts and LaBoeuf.

For those who have read Montiel's book by the same name, the time Dito spent in East Village and his fame as a Calvin Klein underwear model will seem painfully missing. But Montiel has extracted the essence of a boy growing out of his environment with the help of his unknown saints, condensed the action, and told the story in a magical way - a way that is sure to drive into the gut and heart of every sensitive viewer. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

A Guide to Recognizing your Saints There comes a time when motion pictures take an extraordinary turn, when and where that happens is irrelevant, although recently I've experienced a breathtaking turn in film making. The name of the experience is "A Guide to Recognizing your Saints." First time director Dito Montiel created, based on own occurrences and adapted from his book, a personal picture engulfed in beautiful undertones of love, regret and forgiveness.

The film is sculpted by a powerful screenplay by Montiel and an incredible cast who captured the best ensemble award from the coveted Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Academy Award nominees Robert Downey, Jr. and Chazz Palminteri, Oscar winner, Dianne Weist and a slew of incredible and upcoming talent coming from Shia LeBeouf, Rosario Dawson, Channing Tatum and Melonie Diaz. The movie parallels us through a downward spiral of daily entities and a burrow of absolution and adversity.

The movie cuts in and out of the years 2005 and 1986 and both center around Dito Montiel, a young Queens-born Italian trying to cope with the everyday hard streets of crime, prejudice and premature passion. In 2005 Dito lives away from his family and is contacted by his mother to return home to care for his ill and medically stubborn father. Robert Downey, Jr. plays the multi-layered character who carries the weight of the world on his heart. Dito's pain is so deep that he can't even believe or conceive a start to come to terms with it. Downey, Jr. has been making a strong comeback for his career and when he pulls in outstanding performances like this it reestablishes his talent. Shia LeBeouf portrays the young "Dito" in 1986 and pulls in one of the most riveting performances ever performed by a younger actor. LeBeouf shows you what it means not only to play a role but to inhabit it. "Dito" may seem flawless at times as he grows up and surrounds himself by his compatriots, but when he falls into temptation and wants the escape into an unrestrained humanity we see a true idol emerge.

Dito's humanity is threatened by local thugs such as the Puerto Rican, Reefer and his relationship with his adverse father played by Palminteri. Throughout the film you see Dito trying to self-improve his life by conversations about relocating, expanding his friends with the new foreign student Mike and learning more about himself than he intends at his age. His circle of friends include the three "free-spirited" teenage girls from the neighborhood, his abused and violent friend Antonio, (Channing Tatum) the little man, Nerf, and Antonio's dazed younger brother Giuseppe. Dito searches for it including love with one of the ladies (Melonie Diaz (young) Rosario Dawson (old)) who captures the essence of innocence lost in between adolescence and the alleyway.

Dito Montiel's life is the ultimate example of baggage accumulated over decades and inevitable recognition of it and eventual confrontation of it. The movie is "Kids" meets "The Basketball Diaries" told in a "Sleepers" like narrative. The "21 Grams" like cinematography is captivating and crisp editing makes a wonderful, enjoyable and imperative film to a generation lost in its own indulgence. Unfortunately, the film is far too "small" to be recognized by the Academy. If it were up to me this would be a definite contender in the Adapted Screenplay category and LeBeouf would be joining a very crowded Best Actor race. Downe

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints fmovies. I was lucky enough to catch the last showing of "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" at my local theater, and man, was I surprised. I haven't seen a film with such an accurate and heart wrenching portraits of troubled youths since "Kids".

"A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" gives us a glimpse into the life of Dito Montiel (Shia Labouf, with Robert Downey Jr. as the older version) growing up on the streets of Astoria, Queens in 1986. When he leaves for California, he leaves behind his best friend and resident tough guy Antonio (Channing Tatum, with Eric Roberts playing the older version), his caring mother (Diane Wiest) and tough love father (Chazz Palminteri), his girlfriend Laurie (Melonie Diaz, with Rosario Dawson as the older version), and pretty much everyone else he knew.

First time director Dito Montiel does a stellar job of establishing characters and their relationships. He also does a great job directing scenes that seem so real (thnks to some superb acting by the cast), it almost seems like a documentary. A huge round of applause goes to the cast for their performances.

The ending wasn't really cohesive with the script. I didn't leave knowing what happened with Dito and his family and friends. Other than that, there's not a single bad moment.

"A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" is raw, gritty, and stunning. There's not a single disappointing scene in the movie.

9.5/10

I liked the direction and acting better than the screenplay, although Dito Montiel has written a very moving story. His use of different styles and techniques- most of which came from him just experimenting or not really knowing what "to do"- are at first somewhat jarring, but grow to fit the fractured lives of his characters perfectly. This movie is not for everybody, but should be seen by anyone who is despairing of the state of American Independent movies. And the cast- truly brilliant. Pros like Dianne Weist (she can truly do no wrong, and her character would be so weak in a lesser actor's hands) and Chazz Palminteri are mixed with relative newcomers and complete unknowns that Montiel picked up in casting sessions out in Queens. For me, the whole movie was worth seeing Channing Tatum, however. He is heartbreaking and scary and full of explosive energy. The screen can barely contain him. One of the best movies I've seen in quite awhile.

First time director Dito Montiel's "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" is a harsh autobiographical look back at his youth on the mean streets of Astoria, Queens in the mid 1980's. From the film's opening moments, Montiel introduces us to an intimate world of family and friendship that totally blindsided me by its greatness. There are moments in "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" that roll along with such force and emotion, that Montiel feels like a natural born filmmaker, infusing his personal heartache into strong characters breathing within a vivid time and place. Montiel's handling of edits, sound, and music are also powerful, such as a scene in Dito's kitchen between his father and group of friends that explodes into stark images and quick cuts to black. Montiel also handles the return home of Downey Jr. with care and vulnerability, searching for small answers that come in revelatory conversations with his mother (Dianne Weist) and grown up girlfriend Dianne (played by Rosario Dawson). And while such personal material can be hard to translate without lapsing into melancholy, Montiel finds a way to craft a clear eyed version of his life, allowing strong acting and electric film-making to take over the balance of the experience. I love finding unheralded gems such as this. The name of Robert Downey Jr. brought me to the theater and I discovered a true talent in Dito Montiel who has crafted one of the finest directing debuts in several years