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‘Touch’ explores what might have been

“Touch” (“Snerting”) (2024). Cast:. Egill Ólafsson, Kōki, Pálmi Kormákur, Masahiro Motoki, Yoko Narahashi, Ruth Sheen, Masatoshi Nakamura, Meg Kubota, Tatsuya Tagawa, Charles Nishikawa, Sigurour Ingvarsson, Starkaour Pétursson, Akshay Khanna, Kieran Buckeridge, Benedikt Ellingsen, Maria Ellingsen, Eiji Mihara, Eugene Nomura, Harpa Elísa Ϸórsdóttir (voice). Director: Baltasar Kormákur. Screenplay: Baltasar Kormákur and Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson. Book: Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, Touch (2022). Web site. Trailer. No matter how well life may treat us, almost everyone undergoes a memorable, fulfilling experience that, unfortunately, doesn’t last as long as we thought (or hoped) it would. These scenarios – usually romantic in nature – leave such profound, enduring impressions on us that we can’t shake them when they end, often abruptly and somewhat unceremoniously. We tend [...]

Brent Marchant2024-09-21T16:13:28-05:00July 16th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘The Swimmers’ illustrates how to beat the odds

When the odds are stacked against us, it may be easy to turn our backs to the challenges confronting us. Such scenarios could readily be viewed as simply too daunting, not worth the expenditure of time, energy and commitment needed to overcome them. However, in considering the potential rewards available, it’s possible to have a change of heart

Brent Marchant2023-03-23T13:21:03-05:00February 15th, 2023|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘There Is No Evil’ struggles with matters of conscience

Listening to our conscience often proves challenging. In many instances, we know in our heart of hearts what we should and shouldn’t take part in. But saying no isn’t always easy, especially if our necks are on the line if we refuse to play along. Indeed, it can be difficult to stick to our guns when we have one pointed at our head.

Brent Marchant2021-03-14T05:49:40-05:00February 8th, 2021|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Parasite’ exposes the fallout of false intentions

“Parasite” (“Gisaengchung”) (2019). Cast: Kang-ho Song, Hye-jin Jang, So-dam Park, Woo-sik Choi, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo, Jung Ziso, Hyun-jun Jong, Jeong-eun Lee, Myeong-hoon Park, Seo-joon Park, Keun-rok Park. Director: Bong Joon-ho. Screenplay: Jin Won Hon and Bong Joon-ho. Web site. Trailer. When the have-nots stare down the ample resources of the haves, there’s almost always sure to be a degree of envy involved. “How is it that they’ve come to acquire what we haven’t?” they might legitimately ask. “Why can’t we have some of that?” Those questions have merit, too. But how far are the have-nots willing to go to get what they seek? That’s a crucial issue posed in the new social satire, “Parasite” (“Gisaengchung”). Times are tough for [...]

Brent Marchant2019-12-22T23:51:13-05:00November 8th, 2019|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews|

‘A Fantastic Woman’ sets powerful examples of courage, compassion

“A Fantastic Woman” (“Una mujer fantástica”) (2017). Cast: Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim, Nicolás Saavedra, Amparo Noguera, Trinidad Gonzáez, Néstor Cantillana, Sergio Hernández. Director: Sebastián Lelio. Screenplay: Sebastián Lelio and Gonzalo Maza. Web site. Trailer. Saying goodbye is never easy. The pain and sorrow can be a lot to bear, even under the “best” of circumstances. But, when the situation becomes burdened by considerations that have no business intruding upon such a difficult process, the result can be unendurable. Such are the conditions addressed in the compelling new Chilean drama, “A Fantastic Woman” (“Una mujer fantástica”). Businessman Orlando Onetto (Francisco Reyes) leads what appears to be a fairly comfortable life in Santiago. The 57-year-old runs a successful [...]

Brent Marchant2018-03-09T10:37:03-05:00February 25th, 2018|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Romance|