comfort zone

‘Eleanor the Great’ wrestles with the merits of ‘the good lie’

We’ve all been taught the wisdom behind the notion of “honesty is the best policy.” It’s sound, solid guidance that’s nearly always appropriate (provided it’s not carried to an unhealthy extreme). But what about the opposite of this advice: Is there ever any benefit in a falsehood, the so-called “good lie?” At first glance, it might be easy to dismiss this idea out of hand, but what if something less than truthful is capable of imparting insight, inspiration or comfort to someone in distress? In cases like that, can it realistically be summarily rejected?

Brent Marchant2026-02-02T18:24:02-05:00December 8th, 2025|Character Study, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Eternity’ wrestles with the perils of hard choices

Life can sometimes present us with hard choices. However, strange as it might sound, death might actually hand us some even bigger ones. That might throw us for a huge, unexpected loop, especially if we go into the afterlife envisioning it as a stress-free experience, one assumed to be characterized by unending happiness and bliss. Such is the dilemma posed to a recently deceased woman who now faces a decision that’s not at all what she anticipated, a choice far greater and more difficult than anything she experienced while alive.

Brent Marchant2026-01-26T14:37:52-05:00November 24th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘Beautiful Journey’ brings the nature of existence to life

It’s been said that “life is what you make of it,” that “we become what we believe.” To some, this probably seems like the content of a warm, fuzzy, inspirational greeting card. But, if we truly take the time to examine ourselves and our lives, we’re likely to find that there’s more than a small kernel of truth in these observations.

Brent Marchant2025-12-22T01:38:40-05:00October 13th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Romance, Sci-Fi|

‘Flow’ urges us to intuit our way to success

Sometimes the simplest yet most profound messages come to us from the unlikeliest of sources. In many cases, those messengers deliver their insights metaphorically and unwittingly, with an almost “innocent” nature, as if to give license to the notion of “out of the mouths of babes.” So imagine how valuable that information can be when its impact is significant and inspired and comes at a time when the stakes are at their highest.

Brent Marchant2025-05-29T22:28:12-05:00April 4th, 2025|Animation, Conscious Creation, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘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|

‘Living’ breaks the chains of limitation

Willingly taking ourselves out of our comfort zones is something that may make many of us squirm in discomfort. As creatures of habit, we like our lives filled with familiarity and predictability. So, when we find ourselves faced with having to make adjustments in light of our conditions, we might rail against those circumstances, especially if we feel the pressure of time constraints squeezing us into unexpected (and not necessarily welcome) alterations.

Brent Marchant2023-02-12T21:05:28-05:00January 15th, 2023|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Bardo’ takes a long, introspective look at life

How often do we seriously take the time to contemplate life’s bigger questions? We either preoccupy ourselves with everyday matters that unwittingly prompt us to put these issues on the back burner, or we may view these subjects as too daunting or scary, pushing them into the dark recesses of our consciousness for later handling (opportunities for which almost never surface). But how prepared do these approaches leave us for the time when we really will have to address them?

Brent Marchant2023-01-15T05:26:11-05:00December 2nd, 2022|Character Study, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Bernadette’ examines the compulsion to create

“Where’d You Go, Bernadette” (2019). Cast: Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Emma Nelson, Kristin Wiig, Laurence Fishburne, Judy Greer, Troian Bellisario, Zoe Chao, Megan Mullally, Steve Zahn, David Paymer, James Urbaniak, Kate Burton. Director: Richard Linklater. Screenplay: Richard Linklater, Holly Gent and Vince Palmo. Book: Maria Semple, Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Web site. Trailer. Some of us just have to create. The compulsion is so strong that we can’t ignore it, as if it’s an itch that must be scratched. And, if that need goes unfulfilled, it can drive us crazy – literally. So it is for an exceptionally talented woman on the brink in the offbeat new comedy-drama, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.” Bernadette Fox (Cate Blanchett) leads a rather unusual life. [...]

Brent Marchant2019-09-25T08:55:05-05:00August 26th, 2019|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Boy Erased’ inspires awakening to the truth

“Boy Erased” (2018). Cast: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Madelyn Cline, Victor McCay, David Joseph Craig, Troye Sivan, Jesse LaTourette, Théodore Pellerin, Flea, Joe Alwyn, Britton Sear, Cherry Jones, Xavier Dolan, Drew Scheid. Director: Joel Edgerton. Screenplay: Joel Edgerton. Book: Garrard Conley, Boy Erased. Web site. Trailer. What are we to do when the reality of our self doesn’t match the image we hold – or that we believe we’re supposed to hold – of it? The frustration such circumstances engender can be maddening, perhaps threatening our prevailing worldview and causing us considerable anguish. That’s especially true when we’re pressured by others to conform to certain standards of behavior and outlooks on life that we know don’t [...]

Brent Marchant2018-12-21T07:32:52-05:00November 24th, 2018|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘A Wrinkle in Time’ illustrates how to grow into ourselves

“A Wrinkle in Time” (2018). Cast: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe, Zach Galifinakis, Michael Peña, André Holland, Rowa Blanchard, David Oyelowo, Daniel MacPherson, Conrad Roberts, Yvette Cason, Will McCormack, Bellamy Young, Lyric Wilson. Director: Ava DuVernay. Screenplay: Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell. Book: Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time. Web site. Trailer. Life’s challenges sometimes appear daunting, especially to those of us still growing into our maturity. We may see life as unfair and insurmountable, conditions that lead to frustration and behaviors that ultimately don’t adequately prepare us for what lies ahead. But this doesn’t mean we should just roll over in the face of these circumstances; we can [...]

Brent Marchant2018-05-08T21:04:29-05:00March 28th, 2018|Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|