A guide to recognizing your saints
Just finish watching this film '' a guide to recognizing your saints''.
Firstly when i saw its title, kind of worry....and dont know what would it be so i went to check out the trailer before watching it. The trailer is great because it looks a bit like The Soloist. So it convince me to check out this film and of course there's another reason for it, Robert Downey Jr is in it (hehe...) although his appearance time in this film is consider as medium.
Well,it is a film about life, friendship, love so it quite close to the type of film that i looking into recently. What i think is the director also the origin character in this film Dito Montiel make this movie so real....just like a life in the reality,not much movie i saw can do like this.
It is about life of Dito with his gang living in a crime city Astoria. And the young Dito is potrait by Shia Labeouf, suprised!!! And with his best friend Antonio starred by Channing Tatum (handsome dude...), who always back Dito up and treat Dito's father like his own father.
So there are always fighting around and they taking alcohol and drugs all the time. You can see how the director show how close the relationship between this young guys in this film. When Dito crack a fight between a gang called Reaper, how Antonio help him. And there is one part after the dead of Antonio's brother and he had a fight with Dito....that's really shock, looking at how Dito begging Antonio to forgive him. Shia Labeouf...quite oustanding. Of course Antonio didnt gives a damn on Dito but when he saw Dito beaten up by gangster,he is so woory about him and help him out again.
Handsome Antonio...
I'm quite into Antonio character because he is such a aggresive people and always involves in fighting but when it comes to his friend,he can even pay his life for them. He also take care of Dito parents. After many problem occur, Dito decide to run away to california (where Dito's father strongly disagree) with his friend Mike but on their way back home after get their paid from their boss (who help them a lot and give all the money he have to them.), Mike shot to dead by the gangster. What in Dito mind is just to get out of this nightmare-go to california.
The older Dito (robert downey jr) has a success in california after he left everthing in this hometown include his loves one,his parents and his friend. Antonio get into prison after take a revenge for Dito. He is asked to be back to sent his father to hospital. When he comes back,he founds some of his friend died, addicted to drugs and everything has changed.
Dito (RDJ) talking to his mum.
He met his father but his father ignore him, still mad at him when Dito left them.....but Dito mother is so understanding. I like that part when Dito ask his father whether he loves him....Robert having tears in his eyes when he yelling to his father,quite touching. In the end Dito found that he has left everyone and everything in his home town but no one has left him. Everybody still missing him and helping him when he comes back.
The end of it,he went to the prison to meet Antonio,he is older (not that handsome already...)and all of this year Dito didnt even go ot see him but Antonio is so happy to see him and he told that he has many thing to tell Dito, Robert (Dito) is speechless.....guess it is guilty???
This time i think robert downey jr get a very different role. A role that doesnt speak much but we can still see what he trying to be. Not a role that has a perfect personalities...a role that is weak and dare not to face all the reality. Not bad....i have to say the beginning a bit bored but overall is quite a meaningful movie.