See this movie.

This blog won't often cover current events or New York happenings in a timely fashion - which I guess half defeats the purpose of even having a blog, but whatever. The point is, I'm taking the time to tell you to go see a movie that's currently in theaters - A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.

Writer/director Dito Montiel, who is also the film's main character, based the story from his own memoirs, and the result is a deeply personal coming-of-age tale set in 1980s Astoria, Queens. The performances are outstanding - most notably from Channing Tatum and Chazz Palminteri - and Montiel's ambitiously stylized film is an unforgettable, authentic companion to other New York tales like Mean Streets and Saturday Night Fever.

The film takes place both in the past and the present. Robert Downey, Jr., as Dito, returns to Queens after 20 years away from home to confront his ailing father, while he remembers the thug friends and tragic events that led to his initial departure. Shia LaBeouf plays the young Dito, and he is flanked by Tatum and a cast of brilliant young actors who bring their characters to vibrant life.

I loved this movie. And even though no one is reading this blog, you should all go see it too. A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is showing at the Angelika, on Houston and Mercer. And be sure to read an interview with writer/director Dito Montiel in the Summer 2006 issue of Filmmaker Magazine, available now.