“The one short film you won’t want to miss”
By Michael Aaron Gallagher of StayFamous.Net
Update: Although technology has certainly changed in the years since the short film “I Kicked Luis Guzmán in the Face” was first released, it still packs a punch (or a kick, depending on how you look at it). What many people may not realize is how insightful and ahead of its time it really was. It is a great social commentary on the dangers of fame and social media, and its quirkiness is just as entertaining almost 20 years later. I’m glad I was able to find it on YouTube.
Review: 5 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Actor Luis Guzmán stars as himself in the dark comedy short film “I Kicked Luis Guzmán in the Face.”
The Movie Review
Every now and then a movie comes along that you can’t wait to share with your friends. This year, that film happens to be the entertaining 20-minute short, “I Kicked Luis Guzmán in the Face,” which was recently screened at the 2008 B-Movie Film Festival in Syracuse, New York.
“I Kicked Luis Guzmán in the Face” is the story of Jason, a file clerk in a financial services firm who doesn’t seem to quite fit in, until he tells one little lie that transforms his life forever. Written by Adam Hendricks and directed by Sherwin Shilati, “I Kicked Luis Guzmán in the Face” is the one short film you won’t want to miss. It is smart, funny, and brilliantly unpretentious. Starring actor Matt Ryan in a role that makes you wonder why he isn’t in more movies, and Travis Quentin Young who plays his friend, the story is charming from beginning to end. If there was one short I saw in 2008 that had the potential to become a great full-length feature film, “I kicked Luis Guzmán in the Face” would be that picture.
This is a solidly made production that carries through to the very end, even demonstrating its creativity in the way the movie’s final credits are displayed. The entire cast and crew deserves praise for bringing an original concept to the big screen and producing a movie you will not soon forget.
And although the film may have a surprise ending, it is dare I say, heartwarming?
“The one short film you won’t want to miss”
Copyright © 2009 by Michael Aaron Gallagher
Photograph: Courtesy of Sherwin Shilati and Adam Hendricks
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