Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Saint John of Las Vegas’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is a well-known fact, that our past is integral to who we are in present day. Every bad moment, and every wonderful one, helped to form our opinions, our fears and our hopes and we often return to said moments, when we make important decisions in our lives since they taught us critical lessons. But what I’ve always found truly fascinating about the past, is the power that it holds over people in present day, since so many see their past as a negatively controlling factor in their lives.
 
These are the folks who see the dark parts of their past as a harbinger for their future, and that every decision and attempt at success will end in failure since that’s the path the past has laid out for them, and they do everything they can to run from days gone by. But the fact of the matter is, one cannot escape their past, and the only way forward in life is to embrace what has come to pass and use it as a building block toward tomorrow and recently, I had the opportunity to watch a motion picture that examines everything we just discussed, in quirky fashion of course, in Saint John of Las Vegas.
 
Now in this particular film, we are introduced to man named John Aligheri, and he used to enjoy the good life. For he was once Las Vegas royalty, and was treated to comped drinks and all the creature comforts that the city of Sin bestows upon those who do well at the tables. But one day, that luck ran out and it drove John away from Vegas and toward Albuquerque, wherein he started his life anew by picking up a job with an insurance company. But while he enjoys his new path in life, he often reflects upon his glory days in Vegas and as fate would have it, a potential promotion at Townsend Insurance is going send him on a road trip back toward Vegas, giving John a grand opportunity to settle the score with a town where the house always wins…

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I’m always fascinated by films that go out of their way to tell a story in the most unique way imaginable, and I think that’s precisely why this movie caught my eye. For at times, it is a philosophical drama since it deals with confronting one’s past in order to move forward in life, and oddly enough it pays homage to Dante’s work since it implies that John is moving through the various levels of his own personal hell in order to finally see the light. However, this is also a quirky comedy through and through, one filled with awkward and chuckle worthy moments that involve incredibly colorful characters and while this strange hodge podge of concepts and notions shouldn’t work together on film, they find a way to come together here.
 
But what I truly loved the most about this motion picture, is John’s journey. Because his quest to resolve his past is handled in subtle and beautiful fashion since he learns and grows from everything that happens to him in this film and you watch him transform from a mousey insurance adjuster/gambler, to a bold and strong character that is no longer afraid of being in his own skin, who also understands that the past is indeed in the past and it’s time to use it and its lessons to engender strength and really, we can thank Steve Buscemi for making all of this work flawlessly on screen, since his performance as John is downright magnificent and everything he contributes to this story is simply a delight.
 
As an added bonus, he’s joined by some supremely significant names in this movie as well since Peter Dinklage and Sarah Silverman have important roles in this movie and they help to add gravity to the film’s comedic moments and really, in the end, this movie is just a wonderful treat. It’s original, it’s offbeat and it tries to do new things in just about every single scene and that makes it incredibly refreshing. However, if by chance you want to see this one, all I ask is that you go into this one with an open mind. Because little in this film resembles the norms of Hollywood, and that can definitely rattle a casual viewer. But once you get past its unique style and settle in, you’re definitely in for one entertaining ride. 

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