I couldn't think of a better way to start a movie career. This was Dito Montiel's first movie, it was based on his autobiographical book, and it was excellent. The acting was great, and in the case of Rosario Dawson's small part, superb.
In A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, we follow Dito's (played in adulthood by Robert Downey Jr.) return to Queens due to a sickness in the family. He plays a successful writer in L.A. who had not returned home for 15 years -- something to do with an issue with his father (played by Chazz Palminteri). In his journey back to NY, we see a lot of his teenage years during the 80s.
The cast for those teenage years was excellent. I think you will be surprised with Channing Tatum's performance. I knew he would be in the movie but I didn't know he would have such a big role. He was almost a lead. I think you will actually be able to pay attention to his acting (despite his bare chest during most of the movie).
Channing was one of Dito's good friends, and he was a bad guy. Channing's dad in the movie beats him up all the time and Channing vents on people. He is an idiot and admits to it (his character talks to the camera at one point).
We had one gay character, a dog walker who helps Dito out. Dito is played in the teenage years by Shia LaBeouf (who then becomes Robert Downey Jr. in adulthood). Here's the gay:
Our gay is
not a exactly an exemplary citizen, but he is not really a scumbag either, our dog walker was street smart (literally) and helped the the main character with a paying gig. That was nice, and our gay appeared in a few scenes. Channing Tatum even wanted a job from him. But being the idiot that he was, Channing Tatum called him a faggot a few times. But again, Channing's character was an idiot, so that's less of a problem.
The soundtrack was brilliant, with excellent 80s tunes.
I had one major problem with the plot, and I will talk about it after the jump because it will spoil the movie. In addition to that, I will also consider other aspects of the sexuality of certain characters but that will also give away too much.
Watch the trailer here.
[SPOILER AHEAD]
My main problem was the apparent life-ending beef between Dito and his dad Chazz Palminteri. The whole beef was shown in the movie to be about Dito leaving to California in his teenage years. But come on, that is nothing! Dito leaves for 20 years and never looks back? Why? This was not clear and was a big hole in the plot.
I wondered whether Dito left NY because his father molested him. In one scene Chazz is trying to console young Dito in the bathtub (again, played by Shia LaBeaouf) and the way Dito keeps pushing Chazz away could potentially suggest Chaz molested him in the past, but that is far from clear and I just thought of that because there was nothing really in the movie that explained why Dito hated his father so much...
I saw this movie with a real smart friend who went further. His one point was that some straight writers don't really know what a problem really is. Often, not getting the girl they want is all they have to go through...
Also, the issue of masculinity could have been better addressed. Why couldn't Channing tell his brother that he loved him so that he could get out of the tracks before the train hit him? Why couldn't Channing handle being over-concerned for Dito's safety. One time Channing gets all riled up when Dito suggests Channing spends all his time thinking about him (Dito). Maybe Channing's character was gay after all. Those issues could have received more treatment.
Oh, and get this, Eric Roberts plays Channing Tatum in adulthood.
I read good reviewls about this movie!
Want to see it!!!!
Besides that, theres Mr. Tatum...
Posted by: marcus | Nov 15, 2006 at 11:00 PM