2nd Annual Little Rock Film Festival - Movies to Watch

Back in May I attended the 2nd Annual Little Rock Film Festival, and it was amazing. I could really kick myself for not attending the first one. There were so many interesting movies to choose from; unfortunately trying to see ever single movie I was interested was a failed attempt. Here are some quick reviews of the the movies I did see and thoroughly enjoyed.

Left / Right
About a young man who is very successful, with a bottomless bank account. He seems to have everything a person could ever want, but due to a mix up with his degree he is terminated. This allows him to go back home and try to find himself, and he does in a very unusual way. Long story short his death gives him the life that he never imagined. Left/Right is a very interesting movie with very colorful dialog that will make you shout out and double over with laughter until tears fall down you cheeks. It also shows us that even though we think life is good, there is always room for improvement.

The Cake Eaters
A young girl with a terminal disease meets a slightly older young man and start a friendship that leads to a tad bit more. Mary Stuart Masterson makes her directorial debut with this movie. Think of it "A Walk to Remember" with a slightly different cast and an even more interesting story line.

The Promotion
There is no way that you can go wrong when you have John C. Reilly and Sean William Scott in a movie together. They are in a constant battle for a managerial position at a grocery store. Doug(Sean William Scott) thinks that he has the position in the palm of his hands. One day Doug receives the news that another assistant manager Richard(John C. Reilly) will start employment there soon, and is also a candidate for the promotion. Just when one of them seems to have the position in the bag; making an idiotic move jeopardizes his chance. There is a cameo from Chris Garner(Pursuit of Happiness was based on his life) the scene with him is truly hilarious.

Plainview
Even though it was only twenty two minutes long this short was very enjoyable. It's about a female manager who receives a phone call from a police officer. The officer informs her that a male employee is accused of stealing from the restaurant. He walks her through the process of strip searching him, but it turns that the man on the phone is actually some pervert trying to get his kicks. What really made this movie interesting is the fact that it's based on actual events. I'm not sure how one would go about finding this one on DVD because it is in fact a short film.

Stuck
Brandi (Mena Suvari) is a hard working nurses assistant who goes out partying and while under the influence of x pills and alcohol hits a pedestrian. Fortunately the man is not killed, but is lodged in her windshield. Instead of going to the appropriate authorities she leaves the man battered and bloody in her garage. Brandi who was once a caring nurses assistant, turns into a heartless person with no soul. This is yet another movie based on actual events unfortunately.

Blood Car
This film is very low budget with a crazy plot, but it still managed to be quite entertaining. In the future gas is now an astonishing forty dollars a gallon and you're considered a rich individual if you can afford to drive. The main character in this film is a kindergarten school teacher named Archie, who is a vegan and has an addiction to wheat grass. One day while experimenting with other means for fuel, he stumbles across the fact that human blood is a wonderful alternative. It was funny in a dark twisted sort of way.