Review of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) by Pasha B — 08 Jan 2009

"In the end, I left everything and everyone. And no one has ever left me" reflects Dito Montiel after jettisoning his violent, incendiary childhood almost 20 years ago.

To some people, AGTRYS may come across as a mood autobiography of adolescent struggles with a resembling atmosphere to "Mean Streets", decorated with copious arthouse cinematogrpahy. But it's really more than the sum of its parts. One of the strongest merits here is the kinetic cast with the very talented Roberts Downey Jr. onboard (too bad there was too little screen time), Chazz Palminteri's blistering performace as Dito's tenacious father and Shia LaBeouf's wide-eyed, discerning demeanour captures the conflicting desires in the soul of a young Dito. Unlike most movie cliches, Dito walked away from the world that he knew in fear and cowardice and grows to regret the decision eventually. The ending is slightly ambiguious and it underscores the fact that redemption takes time and the issues haunting Dito, in reality, is not completely resovled.

It is a busy, loud picture and the fragments of Dito's youthful memories doesn't quite congeal copacetically to the storyline of his present self, but Dito's directorial debut is earnest and heartfelt with sweeping affection and brio.