7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A coming-of-age drama about writer/director Dito Montiel's youth, the film captures the mid-1980s in the toughest neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. Dito, called home after 15 years because his father is ill, encounters old friends — the ones he lost, the ones he left behind, the ones he can't help but remember. These are Dito's "saints." An honest account of a bittersweet return to a neighborhood where relationships can never be what they once were, Dito's story is about coming to terms with a father's rage and a father's love.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Dianne Wiest, Shia LaBeouf, Melonie Diaz, Chazz PalminteriComing of age | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
MVD Visual’s MVD Marquee Collection imprint may need to start a whole new sub-imprint devoted to films with absolutely incredible casts that even many diehard fans will not have heard of. I mentioned just such a situation with regard to the relatively recently reviewed Shade, and that same situation is once again on hand here, too, with a cast that includes Robert Downey, Jr., Dianne Weist, Chazz Palminteri, Shia La Beouf, Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson and Eric Roberts, with the added imprimatur granted by producing credits for Sting and Trudie Styler (Mrs. Sting, for those who are unaware). Unfortunately, as both Downey, Jr. and Styler allude to (and actually outright state ) in the making of featurette included on this disc as a bonus feature, the source material offered by scribe and director Dito Montiel brought with it a host of adaptive obstacles, and some may feel that those hurdles are not completely successfully navigated in this film full of interesting performances, but a kind of aimless story.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MVD Marquee Collection, an imprint of MVD Visual, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is a generally decent looking transfer that nonetheless can't quite overcome some lingering issues with shadow definition in a number of rather dark or dimly lit scenes. When the film ventures outside during the day, or takes place in brightly lit interior environments, the palette warms appreciably and detail levels also improve. There are some noticeable variations in overall color temperature and densities, and there are a number of small signs of age related wear and tear on display in the form of speckling and small nicks.
While the surround track here is offered only in lossy Dolby Digital 5.1, there is an LPCM 2.0 track that's also available. The film has a probably expected glut of source cues, and those sound rather vibrant throughout the audio presentation. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, and the urban setting allows for ubiquitous ambient environmental effects documenting the busy street life, especially in some of the 80s material.
- Little Boys, Chazz and Fireflies (480i; 1:04)
- Greek Feast Scene (480i; 1:48)
- Little Boys at Murder Scene (480i; 00:41)
- Lawyer Scene with Dito and Antonio's Father (480i; 1:34)
- Giuseppe on the Mets (480i; 1:57)
- Mime Seizure Scene (480i; 2:52)
- Salvation Army Box (480i; 1:10)
- Pocketful of Seeds <480i; 1:05)
- Puppet Show (480i; 1:23)
- Full Puppet Show (480i; 1:23)
- Full Nerf Parked Scene (480i; 4:23)
- Full Rooftop Scene (480i; 6:02)
Note: There's a kind of curious authoring error on these scenes. There's a Play All button, but it rather oddly goes to the brief clip of Monty (see above) rather than the Full Rooftop Scene after the Full Nerf Parked Scene ends.
- Alternate Opening in the Bookstore (480i; 3:53)
- Alternate Ending 1: I Write (480i; 1:59)
- Alternate Ending 2: Full Antonio Scene (480i; 4:41)
- Alternate Ending 3: Fireflys (480i; 2:04)
- Alternate Ending 4: Robert Downey, Jr. and Rosario Dawnson [sic] with Little Boy (480i; 00:55)
- A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (Theatrical Trailer 1) (480i; 2:33)
- A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (Theatrical Trailer 2) (480i; 2:20)
- A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (Theatrical Trailer 3) (480i; 1:14)
Note: There's another authoring error here, though it's a bit more "hidden". If you try to chapter skip ahead during the first trailer, it actually forwards to the Greek Feast Scene as outlined above, eventually exiting out to the Deleted Scenes submenu. Just letting the first trailer play bounces you back to the Trailers submenu.
There are some committed performances in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, but the film kind of wanders aimlessly and never builds to much of an emotional catharsis. Fans of this cast will probably find things to like about this film even if it doesn't completely hang together. Technical merits are generally good if not outstanding and the supplementary package interesting for those considering a purchase.
30th Anniversary Edition
1993
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1987
2022
2014
1993
Director's Special Blu-ray Edition
2004
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1991
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2001