legacy

‘Rebuilding’ celebrates the virtues of compassion

When the slate gets involuntarily wiped clean, we generally have two choices available to us: (1) walking away and starting anew or (2) attempting to rebuild. Both options usually represent hard choices, not only because of the effort required, but also due to the emotional anguish we’re likely to face. Of those two choices, the restoration option can be particularly trying, given that, as we go through it, we’re constantly reminded of what we lost. However, there are also things to be gained, especially when it comes to the compassion, assistance and support we’re likely to receive from those who want to help.

Brent Marchant2026-02-20T14:07:10-05:00January 12th, 2026|Character Study, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Bugonia’ urges us to ask, ‘what’s real and what isn’t?’

In an age where distinguishing what seems genuine from something that’s clandestinely veiled, it may be difficult to know what to believe. As a result, we might abandon any attempt to identify inherent (and potentially significant) differences. Or, by contrast, we may become so obsessed with reconciling the truth behind such discrepancies that we descend into a sea of paranoia and conspiracy theories, potentially seeing shadows at every turn and placing ourselves on the sidelines of reality with virtually no credibility to our names. In actuality, the “truth” probably resides somewhere in between, but where and how do we draw the lines of accurate and meaningful distinction?

Brent Marchant2026-01-17T12:53:16-05:00November 9th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘How to Make Millions’ puts life into perspective

There are things in life more important than money, but sometimes we lose sight of that, unwittingly allowing our perspectives to become seriously skewed. Unfortunately, this usually happens most often when family-related considerations are involved. And those flawed perceptions, in turn, can become even further distorted when money is tied up with those familial matters, particularly when inheritance concerns loom. Such is the case for a Chinese-Thai family facing the prospects of what will happen to the assets of its terminally ill matriarch.

Brent Marchant2025-08-28T07:39:09-05:00July 13th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

Wrapping up the 2025 Chicago Latino Film Festival

The 41st annual edition of the Chicago Latino Film Festival – the longest continuously running event of its kind in the US – is now in the books, having featured an array of narrative, documentary and short films in local theaters and community centers. Here’s my take on what I watched and what I thought.

Brent Marchant2025-06-04T02:29:50-05:00April 15th, 2025|Comedy, Drama, Film Festivals, Foreign, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi, Smart Horror|

‘I’m Still Here’ explores the virtues of hope

Hope is an undeniably powerful force, and a belief in it firmly cements our faith in it in our consciousness. It’s difficult to shake, too, hanging on persistently in our worldview. Admittedly, though, when circumstances challenge its validity and viability, that quality can come under fire, perhaps even prompting us to question its strength and resilience. But such conditions can also serve to affirm our convictions, to galvanize us in our views of the power of hope, particularly when it seems like that’s all we have going for us.

Brent Marchant2025-03-10T03:39:18-05:00February 14th, 2025|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘A Real Pain’ chronicles the search for self

The search for self is a process that many of us believe we complete when we come of age. However, as we often later discover, it’s something we need to revisit as the circumstances of our lives evolve. In fact, we might find that this is an ongoing, life-long process that requires continual vigilance and assessment. That can be confusing, if not disconcerting, particularly if we assume we’ve arrived at all the answers we need at an earlier stage of life.

Brent Marchant2025-02-18T18:12:01-05:00December 12th, 2024|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Omni Loop’ asks, ‘What accounts for our greatness?’

There are many ways we can live our lives, but the one quality that most of us strive for is to find out what makes that existence – and, consequently, us – great. It’s not an easy question to answer, and we often spend considerable time trying to figure it out. So how do we ultimately arrive at a definitively fulfilling answer to this quest?

Brent Marchant2024-12-12T10:01:55-05:00October 20th, 2024|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘Green Border’ makes a desperate plea for humanity

There are so many things that can go wrong in life that it hardly seems wise, practical or prudent to go looking for ways to make our existence needlessly grueling. Yet, if we’re truly honest with ourselves, there are plenty of situations that can all too easily yield undue stress, pain and difficulty – and all as a result of our own making, too. But why would we do that?

Brent Marchant2024-11-09T22:22:07-05:00August 30th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Widow Clicquot’ blends creativity, belief, passion

What makes us successful as creative beings? That’s a question that scholars, philosophers and artists have been asking rhetorically for eons. Much, of course, depends on the nature of the creation. A lot also depends on the traits and temperaments of the creators. But the actual mix of attributes necessary for achieving such fulfillment may ultimately be difficult to define – or, as the French might say, a certain je ne sais quoi.

Brent Marchant2024-10-29T12:27:23-05:00August 27th, 2024|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Little Richard’ celebrates the beauty of innovation

Innovators are indeed a rare breed. They have ways of seeing things that many of us lack or haven’t yet developed. When they ply their abilities, they come up with inspiring, original conceptions that often attract huge followings and many imitators. And yet, despite these gifts and accomplishments, they sometimes don’t receive the credit or recognition they truly deserve.

Brent Marchant2024-10-12T15:26:32-05:00July 28th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Documentary, LGBTQ+, Movie Reviews|