Robert Downey Jr., Shia LaBeouf, Chazz Palminteri

This is the story of a pivotal summer on the hot, sweaty, violent streets of Astoria, Queens--a summer that changed only Dito Montiel, but the lives of everyone around him. Torn between is ill father,...( read more  read more... ) his domineering friend and protector Antonio, the neighborhood war and the lustful temptations of youth, Dito struggles against his desire to escape, running away from everything he knows. He finds redemption 15 years later when he returns to Queens and faces the "saints" who have influenced his life.

Flixster Users

67% liked it

94,825 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

93 critics

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Dito Montiel

Release Date: September 29, 2006

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: February 20, 2007

Get It:

Stats: 3,175 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (3,175)


  • August 18, 2009
    I really didn't care for this movie. There was absolutely no point to it. Sure there were lots of good actors, but it didn't help the movie much.
  • March 25, 2009
    the acting in this one was fantastic. the story was fairly pointless and you cant really connect with the characters, really just a well acted movie about random kids that are not all that different from most of us. the direction was the most interesting part. a debut for this...( read more) director, it was unlike any direction that ive ever seen. you will either love the way that he made this film or you will hate it. i thought the direction was pretty good.
  • November 9, 2008
    An autobiographical film from first timer Dito Montiel which is dramatic and character driven. The film offers a penetrating raw and gritty look into living life in a threatening environment, escaping that environment and what it's like to come home again. Well scripted and bri...( read more)lliantly acted....
  • October 28, 2008
    Shiftless tough teens learn life's bitter lessons on the mean streets of New York. With Chazz Palminteri, Robert Downey Jr. and a cast of exciting fresh faces, it's well acted, etc., but adds little to the genre.
  • September 15, 2008
    Here is a film that we have seen so many times before. Man looks back on his life while trying to fix relationships in the present. Although this is handled extremely well with some excellent editing which brings a new life to scenes that may seem repetitive it just isn't that in...( read more)teresting as a story. Majority of characters are very flat and very annoying especially Rosario Dawson whom attacks Downey Jr for trying to get out of his shitty life. She's still hanging out the same window with a kid so fuck her. Palminteri does a fine job of a father who seems to care more for one of Dito's friends as opposed to his own son. He's annoying but purposefully so. Had the film focussed on just one time period it could have been more complete and a much better film. As it is we jump back and forth and never really feel anything for anybody. Prime example is Eric Roberts literally just walking on screen and that's it, it's a waste of a fine actor. Downey Jr is fantastic as always. One scene sees Wiest as his mother baring her soul and doing all the talking, but it is Downey Jr whom out acts her by barely saying a word. It's all in his body language and eye movement.
  • November 14, 2009
    It was quite hard to get into but once i did it was watchable,if i had to describe it using one word i would chose the word "average".
  • November 10, 2009
    I can really relate to this movie. Its great to know that you are surrounded by the greatest people even if we dont always realize it at first once things start getting rough our true friends and family are the people who stick around. I definately can relate to what he says in t...( read more)he beginning about how he left them all but has never been left by anyone.
  • November 2, 2009
    An emotional account of the life of a young man troubled by his surroundings and where he fears his life will end up. Shia LaBeouf is the star of this film, although the performances of Robert Downey Jr. and Channing Tatum are equally valid.
  • October 29, 2009
    You'll enjoy this movie if you give it a chance after the first 30 minutes or so, and if you're a Robert Downey Jnr fan or can relate to going back home after growing up in a difficult area. A bit of an arty one this. A kind of coming of age drama set in the 80's about a young g...( read more)uy growing up in a rough part of New York who has dreams of going to California. People have moaned about the disjointed scenes... I didn't really notice it. They're not really disjointed in that modern-aren't-we-so-flash way, they just served to make everything very natural and believable - the film plays out the thoughts and flashbacks of Downey's character.

    I liked it... the voice of Robert Downey Jnr and the flashback to Shea LaBouef playing him as a confused teenage boy, added a soft edge to a gritty story - really didnt think this was as bad as a lot of people are making it out to be. You have to watch it and descide for yourself, have to give it a chance though. Starts off a little slow and builds up at a steady pace and yes, there is a lot of swearing and talking over each other, but on the whole, i've seen a lot worse.
  • October 26, 2009
    a bit painful to watch at times but well worth one's time

Critic Reviews


November 17, 2006
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The movie never answers the question of why, exactly, the audience should care about these characters. full review

October 12, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

The fractured narrative, with its era shifts, its talking-head soliloquies, and screenplay-style subtitles, gives an edgy, artsy pulse to what is essentially a well-honed exercise in nostalgia. full review

October 1, 2006
Pete Hammond, Maxim

Awkward, but compelling and worth checking out. full review

September 28, 2006
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Dito Montiel's autobiographical tale is so full of life and feeling that the screen can hardly contain it.

September 15, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be Eric Roberts. full review

View more A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • danielswarrior
    May 18, 2008
    hello im from mexico and i see the movie and its espectacular and i want the name of the first song of the trailer please xoxo
  • jolson12
    January 24, 2008
    hey all you "saints" fans check out my quiz!
  • r46jkfhmj
    August 2, 2007
    Acting alone cannot save a movie from bad editing. I really wanted to like this movie, and on some levels I did. The acting was well done, the story was inviting, and the characters were likable. But overall the editing made this movie almost unwatchable. The flow between past and present was usually blurred, leaving the viewer confused and annoyed. Overall this movie was OK. Nothing too spectacular or gritty.. Leaving you feeling a bit detached from the story and not really caring about the outcome of the movie.
  • wildchildw
    February 20, 2007
    Been following this movie for months, and tis coming out on March 2nd for us, Can't Wait! :D
  • nessan88
    September 25, 2006
    it seems to be a Great movie, can't wait to see it!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Kids
    Kids (78%)
  • The Basketball Diaries
    The Basketball Diaries (100%)
  • Black Rain
    Black Rain (50%)
  • A Bronx Tale
    A Bronx Tale (0%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

A Guide to Recogn... : Watch Free on TV


A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Trivia

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saint... Trivia


  • What movie did Channing Tatum and Shia LaBeouf star together in?  Answer »
  • which actor is in the movie A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints?  Answer »
  • A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is Dito Moneiel's 2nd movie.   Answer »
  • who is the actor that is in the followind films Supercross Coach Carter A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Step Up   Answer »

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?