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A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a lively, powerful coming-of-age tale with winning performances and sharp direction from first-timer Dito Montiel.
All Critics (94) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (71) | Rotten (23) | DVD (6)
Given all the filmed memory pieces about screaming, violent Italian-American families in New York boroughs, I'm not especially thrilled by even a well-made example. Feb 27, 2008 | Full Review…
Given all the filmed memory pieces about screaming, violent Italian-American families in New York boroughs, I'm not especially thrilled by even a well-made example.
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Over-indulgent but often interesting and ambitious in its attempt to recreate the free-wheeling, jazz-improvisational feel of classic independent 70s cinema. Mar 3, 2007 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
Over-indulgent but often interesting and ambitious in its attempt to recreate the free-wheeling, jazz-improvisational feel of classic independent 70s cinema.
Peter Bradshaw
The plot itself might not break much new ground, but the telling, by both cast and crew, makes this a memoir to remember. Feb 28, 2007 | Full Review…
The plot itself might not break much new ground, but the telling, by both cast and crew, makes this a memoir to remember.
Ben Walters
It takes a while to recognize these saints, but the effort is worth it. Nov 17, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
It takes a while to recognize these saints, but the effort is worth it.
Peter Howell
The movie never answers the question of why, exactly, the audience should care about these characters. Nov 17, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
The movie never answers the question of why, exactly, the audience should care about these characters.
Liam Lacey
Though A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is not a great movie, I prefer its street-grit version of adolescent desperation to the arch, mannered tone of Running With Scissors. Oct 27, 2006 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Though A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is not a great movie, I prefer its street-grit version of adolescent desperation to the arch, mannered tone of Running With Scissors.
Michael Booth
Montiel's honey coated Queens of the mid-'80s is rich with the violence and carnality of teenagers, and the performances of LaBeouf (as the young Dito) and Channing Tatum (as his Stanley Kowalski-like grunt friend, Antonio) are raw pleasures. Nov 7, 2012 | Rating: 3/5
Montiel's honey coated Queens of the mid-'80s is rich with the violence and carnality of teenagers, and the performances of LaBeouf (as the young Dito) and Channing Tatum (as his Stanley Kowalski-like grunt friend, Antonio) are raw pleasures.
Luke Goodsell
Dito Montiel adapts his autobiographical 2001 novel into a vivid slice-of-life drama from the Jim Carroll school of disaffected coming-of-age New York journalism. Apr 24, 2009 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…
Dito Montiel adapts his autobiographical 2001 novel into a vivid slice-of-life drama from the Jim Carroll school of disaffected coming-of-age New York journalism.
Cole Smithey
It is its very autobiographical roots that make Saints an emotional wallop, a raw, authentic work that is, at its defiant core, violently and unrestrainedly alive. Feb 28, 2008 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…
It is its very autobiographical roots that make Saints an emotional wallop, a raw, authentic work that is, at its defiant core, violently and unrestrainedly alive.
Brandon Fibbs
Superb performances and a gripping retrospective plotline make this tough cookie an entertaining one, even if its adult story strand is weighed down with vagaries. Feb 27, 2008 | Full Review…
Superb performances and a gripping retrospective plotline make this tough cookie an entertaining one, even if its adult story strand is weighed down with vagaries.
Anna Smith
I love the scenes with young people in the middle of a hot New York summer, talking to one another like panthers circling. Sep 6, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
I love the scenes with young people in the middle of a hot New York summer, talking to one another like panthers circling.
Walter Chaw
It positively crackles with energy, featuring startlingly raw performances from a cast that also includes Shia LaBeouf as the young Dito. And if it looks ragged around the edges, that's as it should be. Jul 31, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
It positively crackles with energy, featuring startlingly raw performances from a cast that also includes Shia LaBeouf as the young Dito. And if it looks ragged around the edges, that's as it should be.
Stella Papamichael
This depiction of harsh times in the Bronx is portrayed with perfection! I thought the performances from LaBeouf and Tatum were amazing! The plot is extremely engaging and every scene sent chills down my spine. The cinematography, the gritty look, the handheld camera shots, and the low-budget production values, are all contributing factors towards what I consider an overall masterpiece in independent filmmaking. Director Dito Montiel (in my opinion) has made his mark on cinema, creating believable characters to go along with a story that is inspired by true events. This film is a breathtaking work of subtle art filmography. I highly recommend this movie to film lovers. "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" is a beautiful little film!
Super Reviewer
Fizzes a bit at the end and didn't really like the adult cast, but the parts of this in flashback in the 70's were interesting. Kind of like "Kids". Enjoyed the music too!
You can?t help but think of films such as ?A Bronx Tale? and ?Sleepers? when viewing this film, perhaps more intense and perhaps more gritty in parts, but can?t help being slightly disappointed with the anti-climatic ending after being built up so much. What I did like about this film, was the building on the individual characters, they seemed to have much depth to them, something I wouldn?t have particularly thought of seeing from Shia Laboef and Channing Tatum and was a pleasant surprise. This was most definitely an Actor driven film opposed to storyline, which gave it believabiltity as a true story.
An amazing movie that has a great visual style and a compelling story. The acting was amazing and a lot more realistic than you usually see. Not since The Basketball Diaries has there been such a flawless sense of coming-of-age. It isn't a feel good teen comedy, but a very powerful and relentless tale of the city.
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