meaning

‘Midwinter Break’ asks, ‘what do we really want out of life?’

Has anyone noticed how it’s becoming increasingly rare these days to find movies that present stories with insightful, contemplative narratives? Granted, pictures like this may not appeal to everyone, but these releases address ultimately account for significant and meaningful aspects of our lives and the nature of existence, big issues that aren’t – and shouldn’t be – easily dismissed. That’s especially true now, given the hunger that many of us have for offerings that provide profound food for thought on both practical and existential levels.

Brent Marchant2026-03-16T21:23:32-05:00February 25th, 2026|Character Study, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘Words of War’ courageously exposes a terrible truth

As much as one would like to believe that humanity is capable of great things, we’ve also seen many instances where the opposite, unfortunately, is true. And, to make matters worse, many of those unsettling developments remain out of view, hidden in the shadows – that is, until someone comes along to courageously expose them. Those revelations often come at tremendous personal cost, too, but, when the world becomes aware of such horrors, opportunities for change, justice and healing begin to emerge. Such are the hopes offered up the gripping new fact-based historical drama, “Words of War.”

Brent Marchant2025-09-27T18:55:38-05:00August 6th, 2025|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Sing Sing’ explores personal resurgence through the arts

When everything gets taken away from one’s life, it must be nearly impossible to find something that provides a meaningful reason to carry on. The pervasive sense of hopelessness that sets in makes it difficult to establish a purpose in one’s existence. And so it often is for the incarcerated, individuals faced with an uncertain future of indeterminate duration. Under conditions as difficult as these, realistically speaking, one can’t help but wonder whether even the prospect of rehabilitation will actually pan out as a viable option.

Brent Marchant2024-10-20T01:13:53-05:00August 22nd, 2024|Biography, Character Study, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Tótem’ celebrates life in the face of death

It’s never easy to face difficult situations, especially when they’re impending and it seems as though they’re inevitable, circumstances in which there’s nothing we can do about them. Indeed, it’s hard enough for us as adults to process and cope with such conditions, but how are children supposed to handle these kinds of situations? Youngsters seldom possess the experience and wisdom needed to deal with their feelings.

Brent Marchant2024-03-24T04:21:52-05:00March 6th, 2024|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Still’ profiles an icon’s journey of celebrity and challenge

As a society that worships those in the celebrity spotlight, we tend to place these icons on pedestals, imbuing them with almost superhuman attributes. We often look on them as leading seemingly perfect lives. We may even wonder, “What problems could they possibly have?” But, given their seemingly larger-than-life accomplishments, we frequently lose sight of the fact that these luminaries are people just like the rest of us.

Brent Marchant2023-07-03T23:07:13-05:00May 19th, 2023|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|

‘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|

‘The Lost Leonardo’ surveys the palette of beliefs

Art is one of the unique aspects of our existence that distinguish us as singularly human. It inspires us in myriad ways and helps give our lives meaning. In fact, it occupies such an esteemed place of importance in our reality that we often go to great lengths to ensure that its significance and value are sufficiently respected and venerated.

Brent Marchant2021-09-14T07:33:59-05:00August 23rd, 2021|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|

‘To the Stars’ charts the emergence from one’s shell

“To the Stars” (2019 production, 2020 release). Cast: Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Adelaide Clemens, Malin Akerman, Tony Hale, Jordana Spiro, Shea Whigham, Lucas Jade Zumann, Madisen Beaty, Lauren Ashley Stephenson, Sophi Bairley, Tina Parker, Matt Coulson, Natalie Canerday, Doug Jackson. Director: Martha Stephens. Screenplay: Shannon Bradley-Colleary. Web site. Trailer. Adolescence is seldom an easy time for many of us. It’s an age of exploration and experimentation, a period when we examine the world and ourselves to see how we mesh together. The fit isn’t always exact, though, particularly when our authentic selves differ significantly from what we see around us. It often prompts us to retreat into our shells, sometimes covering our eyes in the process as we struggle to [...]

Brent Marchant2020-06-13T18:58:39-05:00May 19th, 2020|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘The Hottest August’ showcases how to survey the bigger picture

“The Hottest August” (2019). Cast: Clare Coulter (narrator). Director: Brett Story. Web site. Trailer. What does the future hold? That’s a question many of us ask ourselves often, both individually and collectively. But how wide a view do we take when answering it, again, either individually or collectively? That’s a subject addressed in the experimental new documentary, “The Hottest August.” It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that, when we contemplate the future, we usually do so in terms of how it most directly affects us as individuals or in our peer groups. We think about our homes, our families, our communities, our professions and so forth, the aspects of our lives that have the most immediate impact. [...]

Brent Marchant2020-03-26T07:15:44-05:00February 25th, 2020|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|

‘Pig’ asks, ‘What’s the price of popularity?’

“Pig” (“Khook”) (2018 production, 2019 release). Cast: Hassan Majooni, Leila Hatami, Leili Rashidi, Parinaz Izadyar, Siamak Ansari, Ainaz Azarhoush, Ali Bagheri, Mina Jafarzadeh, Ali Masaffa. Director: Mani Haghighi, Screenplay: Mani Haghighi. Web site. Trailer. What does it mean to be liked? That can be a loaded question, depending on the context. But, in an age of omnipresent social media (and the social ostracism that often accompanies it, which can take myriad forms, again depending on the context), that question can become even more precarious. And, on top of all that, our responses to those circumstances can be truly mind-boggling. These are just some of the issues faced by an insecure citizen in an insecure society in the offbeat new Iranian [...]

Brent Marchant2019-03-20T09:24:13-05:00February 28th, 2019|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews|