advice

‘Someone Somewhere’ helps us to find others by finding ourselves

“Someone Somewhere” (“Deux moi”) (2019 production, 2020 release). Cast: François Civil, Ana Girardot, Camille Cottin, François Berléand, Simon Abkarian, Eye Haidara, Rebecca Marder, Pierre Niney, Paul Hamy, Maria Bunel, Patrick d’Assumçao, Vincent Scalera, Emmanuelle Bouaziz, Quentin Faure, Jeanne Arènes, Michel Lerousseau, Dady Saint-Thomas, Jessé Rémond Lacroix, Hamza Ouechtati. Director: Cédric Klapisch. Screenplay: Santiago Amigorena and Cédric Klapisch. Web site. Trailer. Being alone can be one of the most heart-wrenching experiences any of us can endure. The sense of loneliness frequently weighs heavily on us when we’re uninvolved; the lack of attachment, of connection, eats away at us and leaves us emotionally empty. What’s often worse, though, is having such an experience and not even realizing why we feel the way [...]

Brent Marchant2020-06-07T22:59:56-05:00May 7th, 2020|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘To Dust’ wrestles with expectations, obsession

“To Dust” (2018 production, 2019 release). Cast: Géza Röhrig, Matthew Broderick, Leo Heller, Ziv Zaifman, Janet Sarno, Bern Cohen, Ben Hammer, Joseph Siprut, Marceline Hugot, Isabelle Phillips, Natalie Carter, Leanne Michelle Watson. Director: Shawn Snyder. Screenplay: Jason Begue and Shawn Snyder. Web site. Trailer. We all have expectations about how life is supposed to unfold. In fact, we may feel so confident about them that we even take them for granted. But what happens when they don’t materialize as anticipated? That can easily make us uncomfortable, perhaps even unnerved, especially when there are high emotional stakes involved. And, when that process moves forward seemingly unchecked, we may even grow obsessive about these unmet expectations. So it is for a grieving widower [...]

Brent Marchant2020-04-15T17:32:03-05:00March 3rd, 2020|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews|

‘Peanut Butter Falcon’ celebrates getting the most out of life

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” (2019). Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Thomas Haden Church, Jon Bernthal, Yelawolf, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Mick Foley, Wayne DeHart, Bruce Henderson. Directors: Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz. Screenplay: Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz. Web site. Trailer. How many of us are living truly fulfilled lives? Do we approach our existence with all-out gusto and a willingness to pursue our dreams? Or are we restricted by rules, regulations, fears and regrets – many of our own making – that keep us from fulfilling our potential? Sometimes it takes breaking out of rigid, ingrained patterns of thought and behavior that prevent us from getting the most out of our time in [...]

Brent Marchant2019-10-07T09:19:01-05:00August 28th, 2019|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Searching’ distinguishes what we know from what we think we know

“Searching” (2018). Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing, Sara Sohn, Michelle La, Joseph Lee, Alex Jayne Go, Megan Liu, Kya Dawn Lau, Ric Sarabia. Director: Aneesh Chaganty, Screenplay: Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian. Web site. Trailer. We can take comfort in knowing that certain aspects of our life are exactly as they seem to be. Or can we? Are we getting a clear, accurate picture of the people, places and things that make up our existence? Or are we falling prey to what we’d like to think we know about such elements of our reality? The result can be eye-opening – and disillusioning – as an anguished parent discovers for himself in the sizzling thriller, “Searching,” now available on DVD, Blu-ray [...]

Brent Marchant2019-05-31T15:50:43-05:00April 24th, 2019|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Captain Marvel’ celebrates coming into our own

“Captain Marvel” (2019). Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Gemma Chan, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Akira Akbar, Azari Akbar, Kenneth Mitchell, Mckenna Grace, London Fuller, Reggie/Gonzo/Archie/Rizzo. Directors: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Screenplay: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Story: Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Web site. Trailer. Many of us have likely had experiences where we walk around in a fog wondering who we really are. Whether it’s determining the nature of our calling or the scope of our talents or some other consideration, from time to time we’ve all gone through episodes like this where we feel we’re lost and unable [...]

Brent Marchant2019-04-03T07:38:27-05:00March 15th, 2019|Action-Adventure, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews|

The Best and Worst of 2018

Another year in filmdom has come and gone, and countless movie reviewers have issued their best and worst lists for 2018. And so, with that said, it’s time to add my voice to the chorus, with my choices for the cream of the crop and the curdled cream best discarded. In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that I did not screen every film that was released in 2018, most notably those that were distributed through limited or select channels or have yet to go into wide release, such as a number of foreign films and a few lesser-known independent productions, like “Stan & Ollie.” However, I did spend considerable time staring at those flickering lights on the [...]

Brent Marchant2019-03-15T06:13:42-05:00January 6th, 2019|Awards Season Discussion, Movie Discussion, Movie Reviews|