BAFTA Award

‘Hard Truths’ seeks the quest to cope

Many of us these days are experiencing a certain inexplicable unsettledness with our lives, a constant sense of frustration and restlessness that seems to defy explanation – or resolution. Because of those conditions, we may also find ourselves becoming increasingly aggravated, with our fuses growing progressively shorter. And, no matter what we might do to try and address these circumstances, it often feels like nothing works, that the irritation is perpetual and unrelenting.

Brent Marchant2025-04-22T06:15:50-05:00March 10th, 2025|Character Study, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

Who Will Win the 2025 Oscars?

It’s that time of year again – time for my predictions of the winners at the upcoming annual Academy Awards. For me, this is generally a labor of love, but this year’s awards season has been strange – wild, unpredictable and, ultimately, often frustrating, which has made looking into my cinematic crystal ball far more difficult than in most years.

Brent Marchant2025-03-16T12:09:33-05:00March 1st, 2025|Awards Season Discussion|

‘The Old Oak’ searches for common ground

Getting along with others sometimes isn’t easy, even under the best of circumstances. Differences – of almost any kind – can become obstacles that impede communications and understanding, potentially making relations between individuals and groups problematic or even impossible. But conditions need not remain that way if we make an effort to get past them, an undertaking that generally calls for finding common ground and seeking solidarity.

Brent Marchant2024-07-07T01:29:11-05:00June 12th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Beyond Utopia’ charts the quest for freedom of thought

Imagine living in a country where citizens are effectively not allowed to think for themselves, where their beliefs are determined for them. And the dogma used to drill those thoughts into their minds is so formidable and so pervasive that most residents readily capitulate, even reaching a point where they gladly and willingly comply with the dictates planted in their consciousness. They accept conditions for what they are and even celebrate them, readily buying into the notion that they’re living in some kind of paradise, deplorable circumstances to the contrary notwithstanding. However, when individuals are coerced into a situation where it’s impossible to know – or even believe – any differently, it’s not surprising that they comply.

Brent Marchant2024-05-03T10:09:30-05:00March 24th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Documentary, 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|

The Year in Documentaries

With 2023 now in the books, it’s time to look back on the year in movies. In this third of three blogs, I spotlight my Top 10 Documentary releases of 2023 (some of which were produced in prior years), followed by a list of Honorable Mentions.

Brent Marchant2024-02-18T23:59:22-05:00January 30th, 2024|Awards Season Discussion, Documentary, Film Festivals, Movie Discussion, Movie Reviews|

The Best of 2023

With 2023 now in the books, it’s time to look back on the year in movies. In this first of three blogs, I spotlight my Top 10 Films of 2023, followed by 10 Honorable Mentions and an open-ended list (in alphabetical order) of other releases that I found noteworthy.

Brent Marchant2024-03-21T22:58:19-05:00January 30th, 2024|Awards Season Discussion, Film Festivals, Foreign, LGBTQ+, Movie Discussion, Movie Reviews|

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|

A noble pursuit takes flight in ‘All That Breathes’

Lofty notions are often seen as impractical and unrealistic. And, indeed, they’re frequently looked upon as impossible to implement given their staggering requirements and essential commitment. But that’s not to say that they can’t be accomplished with the right amount of determination and a strong faith in the possibility of their fulfillment.

Brent Marchant2023-04-07T11:49:03-05:00March 19th, 2023|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

My 2023 Oscar Scorecard

So how did I do? I came close on my top six picks, calling five of them correctly and missing out on one (even if I didn’t completely agree with the results of the victors). Here are the details

Brent Marchant2023-03-29T00:10:07-05:00March 13th, 2023|Awards Season Discussion|