A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

Robert Downey Jr. has an uncanny talent for dazzling audiences in every role he finds himself in. His performances matter a lot, from a columnist for the Los Angeles Times in this year’s heartfelt drama The Soloist (co-starring a riveting Jamie Foxx, who shows us once again that we shouldn’t judge him by past choices, ie Booty Call ) to the opposite end of the spectrum as the conspiracy theory Barris spits out in Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly. Oddly enough, however, possibly even more impressive was Shia LaBeouf as our young lead character, Dito Montiel. Unlike several additional movies that cater to Shia’s Hollywood resume, like this summer’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (as Robot Chicken said, Michael Bay only knows one thing: explosions) and Disturbia, Shia actually manages to instill some real emotion. while facing Dito. Another new face in the Hollywood spotlight lately is wrestling star Channing Tatum. But before there was street fighter Shawn MacArthur, there was Antonio. If this particular role represents anything of Tatum’s ability, it’s that, despite recent decisions, he can act. Dito’s father in the picture, Monty Montiel, is infused with a great deal of passion courtesy of Chazz Palminteri (see: The Usual Suspects and A Bronx Tale). Palminteri has made his mark on the gangster genre of the film industry, and here he proves that he is more than just a “sage.” Saints also stars the beautiful and talented Rosario Dawson (Sin City and 25th Hour, among a host of diverse and incredible films, including the first Light It Up) as Dito’s love interest. Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) also stars in the final moments as a much older Antonio, and Dianne Wiest (Edward Scissorhands, The Lost Boys) as Dito’s mother.

Set in 1986 Astoria, New York, Saints is an emotional coming-of-age journey through the eyes of a young Dito Montiel, author of the autobiographical novel and director of the latest blockbuster Fighting. It starts slowly, steadily going through each character’s trials and tribulations until it finally hits the breaking point. Dito and his little group of friends hang out on rooftops, in windows, and experience all the temptations life has to offer. He surrounds himself with the quirky, for example, Antonio’s (Adam Scarimbolo) mentally unstable brother who at one point can be seen by the high school classes walking naked across a nearby rooftop. But then again, what fun would “normal” friends be? Eventually, after a few run-ins with spray-painting thugs, the “Reapers,” Dito befriends a Scottish exchange student. Together they devise a plan to form a gang and head west to the great city of angels (and lost dreams). However, this is a problem. His dilemma with the Reapers continually grows. Apparently his father cares less about his son’s opinion and more about Antonio’s, Dito finds himself unable to stop the unfortunate events unfolding around him. The death and destruction of his own existence, his friends and family. All he wants to do is escape; to run. It becomes difficult to understand how a true story and that Dito Montiel existed, and still stands firm today. The reunion of Dito and his father at the end of Saints is a battle of artistic brilliance between two worthy contenders, Robert Downey Jr. and Chazz Palminteri. You won’t walk away unmoved, that’s a promise.

A recurring theme in Saints is how this tight-knit faction can seemingly hate each other, but immediately when something happens, they forget their differences and come to his aid. In his book, Dito explains more about how he believes his so-called “saints” saved him from such horrendous fates, drugs, and incarceration. Antonio symbolizes what can happen given the right (or wrong) circumstances. It begins with a part of an abusive father, short fuse, heartbreak and pension for violence, Antonio becomes Dito’s guardian saint. Mike O’Shea (portrayed on screen by Martin Compston), the Scottish exchange student who inspired a dream within Dito that soared far beyond the crowded streets of Astoria. Laurie (Rosario Dawson/Melonie Diaz) illustrated how love can feel for the first time. They were all his saints, they all sacrificed something for him.

Dito’s directing style, reminiscent of 1996’s Sleepers (starring Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt) alongside an incredible cast, evokes an emotional tornado that brings with it a sense of nostalgia, even for the rest of the population. he didn’t grow up in Astoria. during the ’80s. It’s as if you can imagine Dito out of the corner of your eye, watching the unfolding of these events that made him who he is and as he puts on a smirk, exclaiming as our grandparents once did: “Ah, in last”.

Saints is a movie that will be recognized for years to come and has laid the groundwork for future coming-of-age dramas. Hopefully, there will be more of the young actor Shia LaBeouf (who has come a long way since his stint at Disney’s Even Stevens) in movies that don’t rely so heavily on special effects rather than character development.