A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints (2006) July 15, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Dito Montiel
A movie that centres around writer / director Dito Montiel’s life growing up in New York and all the people that he knew and cared about but would eventually leave behind. It’s been 15 years since he last went home, but with his father ill and refusing to go to hospital, Dito is forced to return to his childhood haunts - a trip that brings with it a whole slew of memories both good and bad.
The film’s narrative moves back and forth between the past (Dito’s childhood) and present day, as Dito revisits his home, his friends, and all the places he used to know. Because of this structure, the story is slightly fractured at times, although it does flow in a coherent order which stops things from getting confusing.
While there may not be a whole lot of story to the piece, you are introduced to some varied and interesting characters, played with great feeling by the central cast. Shia LaBeouf is fantastic as young Dito, while Robert Downey Jr., who I always enjoy watching in projects like this, plays his older incarnation just as well. Channing Tatum does a good job of playing a character with little empathetic qualities in a way that does, if not endear you too him, at least allow you to tolerate his nature. Rosario Dawson is also featured, and gets a poster credit, although in actuality is hardly in the final film at all.
The script takes the novel approach of valuing realism over comprehension - therefore, while you may find yourself wondering exactly what everyone is saying at times, you can be assured that it’s at least a true representation of urban kids in the 80’s. Still, it’s the cast who really bring this film to life, so apart from a couple of conversations featuring Downey and his mother, or ex-girlfriend Laurie, it’s the actions, the violence, and the awkward relationships that really drive the story.
There’s some great cinematography on display too, and an interesting mood to the piece that is highlighted particularly during the nighttime sequences. There are some stylistic choices which I could take issue with, such as a moment when the characters take a turn in introducing themselves to the camera about 20 minutes in - it’s a nice touch at the start of the movie, but this sequence seems to jar a bit given that we’ve already met them all by this point.
It’s an accomplished piece of work for sure, but while I enjoyed watching it, I don’t think I’ll want to revisit it anytime soon. I guess there’s just not enough going on to really draw you back a second time. Having said that, if you’re into these character-driven coming of age movies, then there really is a lot to like here. The inventive setting no doubt benefits greatly from its basis on real events, and the tale is told through characters who are both difficult and slightly tragic. For me, at least, it just didn’t quite flesh itself out enough to become truly memorable.
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