rude awakening

‘Wicked’ assesses the wisdom behind our personal power

Creating and leading a life of fulfillment frequently requires the judicious use of our personal power. That can be challenging in light of what it takes to pull that off. We must be suitably focused yet handle the particulars involved with a deft touch. However, if we fail at that, it’s easy to become frustrated, possibly overpowering our well-intentioned efforts and potentially yielding deleterious side effects, if not outright havoc, that could harm our surroundings or even others.

Brent Marchant2025-02-14T06:55:19-05:00December 8th, 2024|Comedy, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘I Like Movies’ offers a lesson in comeuppance

It’s admirable when someone has obvious enthusiasm for a personal passion and is eager to share that sentiment with others. Most of us can probably appreciate and relate to that kind of fervor, happy for the individual’s obviously ardent zeal. But it can be off-putting when our reaction is seen as less than enthusiastic and met with condescension, arrogance and disdain.

Brent Marchant2024-06-07T00:10:12-05:00May 23rd, 2024|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Upon Entry’ tests our resolve to live up to our contentions

Questions related to immigration have been asked with increasing frequency in recent years. This has been particularly true where illegal entry has been concerned, providing considerable fodder for widespread public debate. But what of legal immigration – is that a benign subject, one worthy of little attention or recognition? Indeed, if would-be immigrants are doing everything by the book, there shouldn’t be any concerns, right?

Brent Marchant2024-03-18T00:37:37-05:00February 18th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Servants’ explores living a life of integrity

In a world where it’s become all too easy to make compromises for the sake of personal considerations to the detriment of people, practices and principles, it’s become almost unfathomable that there are still individuals out there who are ready and willing to stick to their guns.

Brent Marchant2022-04-23T14:04:24-05:00April 13th, 2022|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘God of the Piano’ tackles the perils of desperation

“God of the Piano” (2019 production, 2020 release). Cast: Naama Preis, Andi Lev, Ron Bitterman, Ze’ev Shimshoni, Alon Openhaim, Shimon Mimran, Leora Rivlin, Itay Zipor. Director: Itay Tal. Screenplay: Itay Tal. Web site. Trailer. Preserving a family legacy is certainly a noble goal. It provides a sense of continuity that links the generations and gives a family its character, reputation and even notoriety. But how far is one willing to go to keep up the tradition? At what point does a goal turn into an obsession? And what are the costs of going too far? Those are among the issues raised and addressed in the captivating new Israeli psychological thriller, “God of the Piano.” Anat Tal (Naama Preis) comes from [...]

Brent Marchant2020-12-13T04:22:28-05:00October 27th, 2020|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Colewell’ examines the opportunities and heartache of change

“Colewell” (2019). Cast: Karen Allen, Kevin J. O’Connor, Hannah Gross, Daniel Jenkins, Craig Walker, Malachy Cleary. Director: Tom Quinn. Screenplay: Tom Quinn. Web site. Trailer. Change – some of us dread it, while others among us welcome it with open arms. Whichever camp we fall into, however, we all have one thing in common – we have to make adjustments in our lives when change makes its appearance. How well that goes (or doesn’t go) depends on how we approach what confronts us and how well it integrates into our existence, a challenge faced by an aging postmaster in the thoughtful character study, “Colewell.” For 35 years, Nora Pancowski (Karen Allen) has enjoyed a comfortable, predictable, enjoyable routine, but now, [...]

Brent Marchant2020-08-28T13:51:50-05:00August 1st, 2020|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘1917’ shows us the reality of reality

“1917” (2019). Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Daniel Mays, Claire Duburcq, Roland Maaser. Director: Sam Mendes. Screenplay: Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Web site. Trailer. How aware are we of our existence? We may think we have a good handle on it, but do we really? Sometimes we need a “reality check,” where we’re thrown into a scenario that gives us a greater and more mindful appreciation of the realm in which we find ourselves. That can be a rude awakening, for sure, as a pair of young soldiers discover for themselves in the new wartime drama, “1917.” With the brutal combat of World War I stuck in a virtual stalemate [...]

Brent Marchant2020-02-06T17:26:59-05:00January 22nd, 2020|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|