User reviews

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 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.

This movie hits the right note with both a compelling story and interesting characters. Writer, director and lead actor Martin Papazian's film packs an emotional punch without being maudlin or making you feel like your emotions have been manipulated.

The story is focused on the young war veteran, but doesn't stray into larger political issues. I found that refreshing in this political season. Instead, this is an intimate portrayal of human struggle, and Papazian imbues the lead character Anthony Hayward with the right level of emotion. Papazian has one of two breakout performances in the film. For me, the best films are those that show believable character development, and Papazian's portrayal is immensely satisfying.

The other performance I loved was by Tristan Lake Leabu who plays 10 year old Wade, Hayward's next door neighbor. I'm convinced Tristan is headed for a stellar career. There's a lot of emotion in his role, and a lesser actor would have over played it. You can see pain, a sense of isolation, and fear in his eyes.

The intimate feel of this film was enhanced by director of photography Guy Skinner and his hand-held camera work, known to most of us from his work on the TV series "24".

At the premier in Santa Monica, Martin Papazian said the story is a composite of experiences told to him by war vets. He listened.

Independent films often don't get noticed because of limited distribution. Moviegoers don't know if a film is worth driving to. If you get a chance, see this film.

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.

Loved this movie! The relationships have depth. The unwinding of the story is engaging from start to finish. Don't want to give a lot away, but it was compelling in my opinion, and well, well worth it. I thought the acting was very solid. Sometimes when you put "popular" stars in movies like this, it's just not believable. I think the cast was perfect for the characters, and helped make me believe.

No real downside for me. I'm know I could nitpick it apart, but for me movies are kinda pass or fail. The boy in the story is a character that is all too real in society today. It made me watch the case worker critically, and I think she did an excellent job unwinding her character as well.

Definitely strong language, so be aware of that.

I saw this movie last night, and I loved it!! This is a fabulous story, very well told, of an Iraq war veteran's life after he completes his military service. His struggles are hard, and of a nature that the far majority of us only read about. But, true to real life, he finds he's not alone in facing the truly heavy burdens of life, and though the struggles of others aren't from the same origin as his, the parallels that can be drawn between the different lives and worlds are logical, natural and yet, stark. The flow of the movie, the characters and their portrayals are excellent, I was engaged from the beginning. The story is realistic, true-to-life, and very touching. Even the film-making, the camera angles and attention to technique were skillfully planned and executed. It all combines to make a very real, moving, deeply thought-provoking film. I encourage everyone to see it!!

A moving story that is not sugar coated and deals with the many issues that veterans returning home from war experience but often not understood. They are casualties of war. I highly recommend taking the time to see this important film that was written with humanity & compassion. All the actors in this film were fantastic!! I really enjoyed the Q & A following the film with Martin Papazian, Writer/Director/Actor & Guy Skinner , Cinematograher!!! We also got to meet an important character in this movie, Milo! This allowed the audience to get the story behind the story from Mr. Papazian and his motivation for writing such a compelling story!

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!

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.

It's rare that you see an authentic story about a veteran that rings true. Least Among Saints is a powerful emotionally movie story that takes you into the life of a veteran dealing with the trauma and aftermath of war.

The story is at times heartbreaking yet doesn't come off as phony or melodramatic. It's a story of redemption.

The acting is real, the directing is strong and the cinematography serves the story. I saw the movie in Santa Monica with a large group of veterans who were moved and loved the film.

I highly recommend you check it out. Marty Papazian did an excellent job as a triple hyphen writer-director-actor.

This is an honest and humble love story, really, framed in two important social/political issues that our world currently faces. First, how should we be dealing with returning Veterans from all over the world. How do we help them heal, as a society and as individuals. What works and what does not work within the "system" and how can we change that? Second, how are we handling children who suddenly find themselves in the system. Overworked social workers are limited in what they can do and how well they can do it. I know I said it's a love story, and it is. A love story with lovely moments. Oh and moments that make you squirm. And moments that are so terribly tragic yet some have undertones of humor. Some don't. Bring a handkerchief, but Martin Papazian, the director, handles them without being maudlin. And Martin Papazian, the actor, lights up the screen.

I saw the film last night in San Diego and was captivated from beginning to end. It was a very moving story, and the acting was brilliant and real, even the dog Milo's performance was excellent and a key part of the film. The screening was put on with Operation Homefront and I got to meet the lead actor and director Martin Papazian who was there for the event, and did a long Q&A talk after the show. He was incredibly nice and well spoken, and seems like a real down to earth guy. The event and movie left me an emotional wreck afterwords! I connected with the movie on many levels (my father in law is a Vietnam Vet left with many health issues, and Grandfather was a decorated WW2 pilot and Korean War POW survivor). Everybody should see this great movie with a powerful and inspiring story. I'm giving it a maximum star rating.

The perfect balance of deeply moving and delightfully honest. Papazian has shown what he can do as an artist by creating a true drama that will make you cry, smile, laugh and rejoice. The characters he has so meticulously brought to life are impossible not to care about with stellar performances by Marty Papazian as the suffering war vet Anthony and the tough-as-nails yet maternal Laura San Giacomo. The story unfolds slowly, yet deliberately as the audience is carefully exposed to the intricate and fragile relationship between a lost man and a lost boy, played beautifully by Tristan Lake Leabu.

Least Among Saints is a genuine work of the heart.

This is a very well written story about a war vet trying really hard to get his life back on track. In some ways, failing miserably, but he keeps trying. Everything about this story felt very raw and authentic. Great acting. Highly recommend! It was nice to see something positive happen from so much negative.

Martin Papazian, Laura San Giacomo and Tristan Lake Leabu all give great performances. Taylor Kinney was a nice surprise. Charles S Dutton was excellent as well.

No clichés or formulas here. Just real, flawed people making a lot of mistakes for all the right reasons. I cried a lot. This movie really hit me several times.

I would love to see more from Martin Papazian! He's a very talented writer, actor and director.

If there were any justice in the world...and who knows outside Hollywood and the idiot Critics who populate it maybe there is...this movie would have dominated the Academy Awards in the year it was released.

Great script, great director, great cinemaphotographer, great soundtrack, and wonderful actors to boot.

Better yet it manages to sidestep totally all the usual trite Hollywood BS and get right to the heart of things. From first scene to last it is blissfully free of the all the usual formulaic crap that allows even the most dim witted critic to have plenty to say...based not upon actually having stayed awake for the whole movie, but rather relying totally upon ideas memorized in Movie Critic Class in college.

If I sound angry it's because I am! Simply put within seconds of watching this great movie I came here to this site confident that I would encounter rave reviews written by critics hungry for something real and authentic. Instead I found just more the same limp wristed BS that so typifies so much of the garbage populating the movie critic scene these days.

Please ignore all that and treat yourself to one of the best movies you've seen in years!

An raw refreshing talent, good looking, and old school masculine style. Much more interesting than the pretty metro-sexual clone leading men we see all the time delivering the same tired faux-macho, insecure, average performances.

I'm sure we will be seeing more of Papazian. SanGiacomo was outstanding as well.

A scene with a fatally injured pet reveals true love and respect towards animals from Papazian, a nice animal rights message, something usually treated with weak sentimentality and flip narratives delivered by other directors.