A Guide to Recognizing your Saints

This thoughtful coming-of-age drama is based on director Dito Montiels youth during the mid 80’s in the rough neighbourhood of Astoria, New York. When Dito (Robert Downey Jr) returns to his old neighborhood after 20 years in California, he is forced to confront his past. His father (Chazz Palminteri) is sick and all of Dito’s old friends have ended up as junkies, prisoners or dead. Dito’s memories of their last summer start coming back in the present. Looking back on the street violence, the drugs and their adolescent sexuality, he experiences a great deal of guilt being the only one who got out. When confronted by his father he realises who his real saints are. The importance of recognizing true friendship and being honest with oneself is the main themes of the film. The story is as bittersweet as it is poetic, affecting and beautiful. The cast of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints shared the Special Jury Prize for the ensemble performance and Dito Montiel received the Director’s Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.OSCAR VON SETH

Premiärstatus
Nordisk premiär: Medverkande
Robert Downey, Jr., Shia La Boeuf, Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest, Channing Tatum: Producent
Trudie Styler, Travis Swords, Charlie Corwin, Clara Markowicz: Manus
Dito Montiel: Foto
Eric Gautier: Musik
Jonathan Elias, Jimmy Haun, David Wittman: Talat språk
English