Least Among Saints

Anthony (Martin Papazian) is a recently divorced vet who is on the brink of self-destruction until his ten-year-old neighbor, Wade (Tristan Lake Leabu), desperately needs Anthony to help him find his father. Both go on a journey of self-discovery while battling inner demons and are quietly helped along the way by the unsung heroes of the world – The Least Among Saints.

Small film. Big message. This fast-paced true-to-life movie is a must-see for anyone who likes rich thought-provoking stories of humanity. The performances are spot on and powerful. Keep your eye on Martin Papazian and young Tristan Lake Leabu. I gather this is not the last we'll be seeing of them.

I was hoping to like this movie, I wanted to like it. I usually enjoy character driven movies, more so when they have child - adult interaction.

Watching this movie I couldn't help but feel I was watching a soap opera, or at best a made for TV movie. It doesn't deserve the high rating it has here on IMDb. The film is based around a formula of pity and compassion, which has failed miserably. An adult ex military, a kid with problems, a dog, all coming together to make life worth living, but it doesn't work this time, rarely does when you rely on formula alone. The acting is woeful, unbelievable. The hard nosed social services woman is so over acted, the movie is melodramatic in every sense. Hollywood produces these movies based purely on formula and think the formula will work every time, sadly Hollywood has got it wrong.

When looking at movies with adult - child interaction and character driven, see The Butterfly (2002) aka Le papillon, or Oshin (2013), Skyggen af Emma (1988).

As I stated previously, I wanted to like this movie, but didn't at all.

Martin Papazian didn't do anything wrong when he put his heart into the production of LEAST AMONG SAINTS, a story regrettably true-to-life in its depiction of Anthony Hayworth, an 8-year veteran of the United States Marine Corp, struggling with his return to civilian life.

As a Writer Papazian does a wonderful job of weaving a believable story, with honest characters and situations, and just a few continuity issues (you know how I am about details) . And no, the story isn't anything new, or ground-breaking, but it is happening today and will continue into the near future. Hirsch-Papazian have produced a film every American, because there will be a military veteran in their future, a vet who often risked everything in our name, and may be needing some help adjusting to being home, in addition to our thanks.

As a Director Papazian brought out performances from his cast that are in-line with my own sense of reality. From the fresh-face of Tristan Lake Leabu, to the quirkiness of Laura San Giacomo (who i love and expect to be quirky) almost all of the performances felt organic.

Sgt. Anthony Hayworth, our returning hero struggles with his demons and Martin Papazian's performance as a man often at odds with himself, rings true, or as Anthony's ex-wife says, "He's a good guy, sometimes he just tries to hard." Martin's acting is never trying or hard, I spent a decade in the military community, and I've met men like Sgt. Anthony Hayworth before. He was a friend of mine.

I enjoyed "Lest Among Saints" because it made me think (that's my thing). And each of us are capable of becoming "least among saints", but only when we choose to give a darn about someone else, and then try to make a difference.

For more on Veterans assistance visit Fenix281.org

I stumbled across this indie film in L.A., and was very pleasantly surprised! The lead character (played my Martin Papazian) grabbed my interest in the very first scene, and held it til the end, in a subtle, layered performance as a haunted war vet, that has us rooting for him despite his flaws, and very deserving of top critic Jeffrey Lyons calling him a "rising star". The supporting cast was equally strong, with such talented veterans as AJ Cook as the drugged out mother, Laura San Giacomo as the tough as nails, wise-cracking social worker, and the always powerful Charles S. Dutton as a police chief, plus many other great supporting performances, not the least of which was newcomer Tristan Lake Leabu as the kid. I heartily recommend this film - it's a real find!

This was a heartfelt film is about two people one war vet and a young boy trying to heal after dealing with tragic loss. The story was very well written and the performances were outstanding. It was played so well that I could really feel the characters' pain and struggle becoming instantly involved. I especially enjoyed the chemistry between the boy and the war vet. The supporting characters also have their own stories as they relate to the two main characters (the boy and the soldier). There was a large continuum of emotion as the story played out, I cried but also found myself laughing out loud a few times as well. The cinematography and scenery were very entertaining and the close attention to details whether it be emotion, scenes, or fabric detail. Most of all, I enjoyed the message of the film as well as the human connection. I highly recommend this movie and look forward to seeing it again.