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‘El Houb’ fights for recognition and acceptance

Imagine being forced to live your life completely on others’ terms, never doing what you want, no matter how strong your desire. Sounds pretty dismal, right? Yet, for those in certain communities, that kind of coercion can be an everyday circumstance. The isolation can be positively crushing, removed from what suits you and being forced to pursue your dreams in secret, if at all, for fear of the repercussions. And, in the meantime, you’re likely to find yourself behaving in uncomfortable, unnatural ways, tantamount to living a lie.

Brent Marchant2023-08-02T00:26:14-05:00June 21st, 2023|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews|

‘Honk for Jesus’ satirizes a fool’s pursuit

Sometimes, no matter how sincere we may appear in taking on a cherished task, we might easily come across looking like buffoons – and not even realize it. Yet somehow we saunter on, striving to reach our goals, despite the obstacles and the odds being innately stacked against us. So what will become of such fool’s pursuits?

Brent Marchant2022-10-09T18:39:06-05:00September 11th, 2022|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews|

‘Lola’ charts the road to reconciliation

When life doesn’t pan out as we hoped and believed it would, it can be disillusioning, if not devastating. It can even lead to tremendous strain among those who thought they could count on one another when it came to living up to expectations. Such exchanges can turn into seemingly irreparable estrangements filled with bitterness and no hope of reconciliation. But need that be the case?

Brent Marchant2022-07-13T13:35:47-05:00June 4th, 2022|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews|

‘Lightships’ provides a quantum leap in understanding

Are we who we think we are? Most of us would probably say “Of course,” but is that statement truly accurate? Indeed, are we the limited, localized selves we’re most familiar with, or is there more to us than meets the eye (or, more precisely, the mind)? There could well be unknown portions of ourselves that are beyond our current comprehension. But what would it be like to find and explore those hidden aspects that could potentially open new worlds of opportunity for us?

Brent Marchant2021-11-04T07:57:15-05:00October 5th, 2021|Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘The Mauritanian’ passionately pursues the truth

Pursuing the truth is indeed a noble endeavor, one that’s made all the more virtuous when infused with passion. That’s particularly crucial when attempts are made to intentionally obscure it and the stakes are high.

Brent Marchant2021-04-26T06:04:28-05:00April 2nd, 2021|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Hillbilly Elegy’ assesses responsibility, boundaries, discernment

How far should we go when it comes to helping others? Many of us would probably say that we should do as much as we can. But what happens when those in need aren’t willing to help themselves?

Brent Marchant2021-03-25T13:22:52-05:00February 23rd, 2021|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘The Dark Divide’ chronicles the process of taking flight

“The Dark Divide” (2019 production, 2020 release). Cast: David Cross, Debra Messing, David Koechner, Kimberly Guerrero, Gary Farmer, Carmen Esposito, Patterson Hood, Dyami Thomas, Olivia Ritchie, Shelly Lipkin, Tom Doupe, Harvest Moon. Director: Tom Putnam. Screenplay: Tom Putnam. Book: Robert Michael Pyle, Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide. Web site. Trailer. Launching a new endeavor can be a daunting prospect, especially if we lack the practical experience and know-how for proceeding. However, if we’re to elevate our knowledge, wisdom and insights to new heights, we must take the initiative at some point to pursue the goal in question. The rewards of doing so can be immeasurable, enabling us to become experts in our fields that mere study from a [...]

Brent Marchant2021-02-05T14:15:07-05:00December 25th, 2020|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Mank’ wrestles with matters of integrity, truth

“Mank” (2020). Cast: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Arliss Howard, Charles Dance, Lily Collins, Tom Pelphrey, Ferdinand Kingsley, Tuppence Middleton, Joseph Cross, Monika Gossmann, Sam Troughton, Tom Burke, Jamie McShane, Bill Nye, Jeff Harms, Paul Fox. Director: David Fincher. Screenplay: Jack Fincher. Web site. Trailer. Speaking our truth is indeed a noble pursuit. Our faithfulness to our own authenticity is a clear indicator of our integrity, a quality widely respected by others and of which we should be personally proud. But not everyone appreciates such candor, especially if it ruffles the feathers of those who stand to lose much from such revelations. So it was for the writer of a big screen classic as depicted in the new Hollywood back story [...]

Brent Marchant2021-01-22T16:06:44-05:00December 13th, 2020|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Eternal Beauty’ sheds light on the search for ‘normal’

“Eternal Beauty” (2019 production, 2020 release). Cast: Sally Hawkins, David Thewlis, Penelope Wilton, Billie Piper, Morfydd Clark, Alice Lowe, Paul Hilton, Spencer Deere, Robert Pugh, Natalie O’Neill, Elysia Welch, Boyd Clack, Rita Bernard-Shaw, Robert Aramayo (voice), Nicholas Lumley. Director: Craig Roberts. Screenplay: Craig Roberts. Web site. Trailer. Throughout our lives, we’re often bombarded by statements, observations and criticisms associated with what constitutes “normal.” But what is that exactly? It’s often considered something ordinary and everyday, yet it frequently gets elevated to a standard that’s essentially unattainable, prompting us to wonder what good it would be then. Finding our way through such a perplexing maze can become a challenge even under the best of conditions, but it’s especially frustrating for someone with [...]

Brent Marchant2020-10-26T01:03:51-05:00September 17th, 2020|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Fatima’ extols the virtues of faith

“Fatima” (2020). Cast: Harvey Keitel, Sônia Braga, Joaquim de Almeida, Goran Visnjic, Stephanie Gil, Alejandra Howard, Jorge Lamelas, Lúcia Moniz, Marco D’Almeida, Joana Ribeiro, João Arrais, João D’Avila, Figueira Cid, Elmano Sancho, Carla Chambel, Iris Cayatte, Ivone Fernandes-Jesus. Director: Marco Pontecarvo. Screenplay: Valerio D’Annunzio, Barbara Nicolosi and Marco Pontecarvo. Web site. Trailer. Faith is something that’s exceedingly difficult to characterize. It doesn’t have any palpable, easily identifiable qualities. It won’t conveniently fit into a neat little package. And it’s not something that can be readily recognized at a passing glance. But, for those who understand and appreciate it, its existence is undeniable, no matter how intangible it might be and how difficult it may be to convince disbelievers of its [...]

Brent Marchant2020-10-10T21:04:09-05:00September 9th, 2020|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|