Conscious Creation

‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ charts a molehill’s evolution

We’ve all no doubt heard about the proverbial molehill unwittingly being made into a mountain. The inconsequential somehow manages to become overly (and unnecessarily) inflated, taking on undeserved significance. This usually comes about as a result of undue attention paid to it by those who have self-serving agendas that they want to see escalated and addressed to resolve petty or trumped-up grievances. And the result is a chaotic maelstrom characterized by overhyped shrieking and misplaced ridicule, often directed at the wrong parties or the wrong issues.

Brent Marchant2024-03-13T08:46:27-05:00February 18th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘When Time Got Louder’ asks, ‘Who cares for the caregiver?’

Caring for those with special needs is certainly a noble, commendable pursuit. The patience, diligence, compassion and dedication required in attending to these individuals is often substantial, and providing the necessary care in line with those qualities is indeed laudable. But, given the commitment called for in such undertakings, one can’t help but wonder, how far should such conscientiousness extend?

Brent Marchant2024-03-11T22:41:01-05:00February 13th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews|

‘The Zone of Interest’ weighs the cost of indifference

Given humanity’s tremendous capacity for compassion and benevolence, it’s somewhat hard to believe that we’re also capable of qualities at the opposite end of the spectrum. When we consider the magnanimity we often exhibit in times of crisis, it’s difficult to fathom how we can also demonstrate troubling degrees of callous, uncaring indifference toward our fellow man. Yet, if we examine the scope of human history, we can’t willfully ignore the many instances of cruel disregard and unspeakable atrocities we’ve inflicted on others.

Brent Marchant2024-03-06T02:02:26-05:00February 9th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Memory’ examines what we believe we recall

How we remember our past is something we can all bank on, right? Or is it? For instance, what happens when mitigating influences impact our memory, potentially causing it to become fallible and untrustworthy? Can we truly rely on our recall then?

Brent Marchant2024-03-04T12:10:06-05:00February 1st, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘All of Us Strangers’ celebrates the enigmatic power of love

Love is truly an enigmatic force. When it’s present in our lives, it can move us to indescribable degrees of joy, bliss and fulfillment. But, when it’s absent – particularly when it’s suddenly snatched away from us – it can leave us in the depths of despair, a sense of despondency from which we may often feel we’ll never escape. However, just when all seems lost, it can have a way of sneaking back into our lives.

Brent Marchant2024-02-13T21:40:28-05:00January 27th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews, Romance|

For better or worse addressed in ‘American Symphony’

The now-famous opening line of the Charles Dickens classic A Tale of Two Cities – “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” – has become virtually synonymous for describing situations that are simultaneously both joyous yet difficult. In many ways, this is a scenario that seems almost unfathomable, one whose very existence is hard to imagine, let alone endure. Yet many among us have nevertheless experienced such challenging, ironic and contradictory conditions, circumstances that ultimately push us to find the means to survive and to overcome the ordeals posed to us so that we can truly enjoy the best of what life has to offer while putting the worst behind us.

Brent Marchant2024-02-01T08:27:47-05:00December 31st, 2023|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews, Romance, Uncategorized|

‘Monster’ seeks to arrive at the whole truth

Is it possible to know the real truth behind a particular situation? It’s often been said that, as outside onlookers, we only see a fraction of what’s involved in the unfolding of a specific scenario. And, because of that, we might well piece together an incomplete view of things, based primarily on what we believe about them, given that they shape our perspective and, subsequently, the materialized existence that emerges.

Brent Marchant2024-01-30T11:24:33-05:00December 28th, 2023|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews|

‘Poor Things’ surveys the process of reinvention

When the circumstances of our lives don’t suit us, it’s time to reinvent ourselves. However, that may be easier said than done in some instances. It’s a process that can be helped along with some assistance, but the root of such a transformation still arises from within us. And, thankfully, the hoped-for outcome can result from a variety of approaches.

Brent Marchant2024-01-30T11:25:35-05:00December 20th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews, Romance, Sci-Fi|

‘El Conde’ metaphorically skewers a dictator’s life

In the wake of the recent 50th anniversary of the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat that resulted in the overthrow of democratically elected President Salvador Allende, an effort led by the country’s military and backed by the US government, a number of film projects (both documentary and narrative features) have been released looking back on this event. These projects have taken a variety of forms, and one of the most unusual (and creative) among them has been a production that takes a metaphorical and wickedly satirical look at the life of Allende’s successor, dictator Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006), portraying him in a surreal but fitting milieu, as seen in the hilarious but insightful allegorical biography, “El Conde” (“The Count”).

Brent Marchant2024-01-30T11:26:22-05:00December 15th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews, Smart Horror|

‘Dream Scenario’ wrestles with social fanaticism

Remember when times were simpler, when you didn’t need to worry about expressing yourself without first having to weigh the long-term ramifications for yourself and the seven generations of progeny that followed? What’s more, recall what it was like to be able to have an opinion without running the risk of oppressive social ostracism from the overly zealous political correctness police force imposing its herd mentality on everyone everywhere? Somewhere along the way we lost our bearings – and ourselves.

Brent Marchant2024-01-27T23:47:43-05:00December 10th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|