theatrical run

‘La Grazia’ explores life in a state of grace

As we approach the finish lines of our lives, we often take time to reflect on how we’ve spent the years of our existence. It’s a process that allows us to take stock of who we are and how we’ve lived, and it frequently provides a means to help us make decisions about any remaining unfinished business we may have. However, such soul-searching may also leave us with more questions than answers at a time when we need such clarity most, the alternative being pervasive indecisiveness that can be crippling.

Brent Marchant2026-07-22T06:15:18-05:00April 19th, 2026|Character Study, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Sentimental Value’ considers the challenges and rewards of forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the most challenging but potentially rewarding exercises in which we can engage. Mustering up the courage and gumption to take on this task may be difficult, even anguishing. But, once we make our way through this potentially intimidating process, we often find ourselves feeling renewed, brimming with rejuvenated emotions and grace that we never knew we possessed. In that sense, then, it’s also a revelatory experience, one that can light the way to fulfilling new and satisfying accomplishments, achievements that might have always seemed out of reach.

Brent Marchant2026-02-05T20:53:58-05:00December 22nd, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Hard Truths’ seeks the quest to cope

Many of us these days are experiencing a certain inexplicable unsettledness with our lives, a constant sense of frustration and restlessness that seems to defy explanation – or resolution. Because of those conditions, we may also find ourselves becoming increasingly aggravated, with our fuses growing progressively shorter. And, no matter what we might do to try and address these circumstances, it often feels like nothing works, that the irritation is perpetual and unrelenting.

Brent Marchant2025-04-22T06:15:50-05:00March 10th, 2025|Character Study, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘The Old Oak’ searches for common ground

Getting along with others sometimes isn’t easy, even under the best of circumstances. Differences – of almost any kind – can become obstacles that impede communications and understanding, potentially making relations between individuals and groups problematic or even impossible. But conditions need not remain that way if we make an effort to get past them, an undertaking that generally calls for finding common ground and seeking solidarity.

Brent Marchant2024-07-07T01:29:11-05:00June 12th, 2024|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

Life’s letdowns probed in ‘Shortcomings’

When life doesn’t quite turn out as planned, it’s easy to become frustrated, cynical and embittered, falling into a trap of unrelenting wallowing and victimhood from which it’s difficult to escape. It’s disappointing, to be sure, when circumstances don’t pan out as hoped for. But what will staying in such a rut accomplish?

Brent Marchant2024-06-20T20:02:24-05:00June 2nd, 2024|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘Cabrini’ extols the virtues of faith, inspiration, accomplishment

Stories about those who give their all for others are truly inspiring. They set examples worthy of emulation and can help to motivate us to do more, including under circumstances where we may have thought that there was little we could do to help. Undertaking these measures can indeed be daunting – perhaps even overwhelming – but, when we see a need and are sufficiently motivated, there’s no telling what we can accomplish.

Brent Marchant2024-05-29T00:01:43-05:00May 3rd, 2024|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Let It Be Morning’ advises escape from our self-made prisons

No one likes feeling trapped by his or her circumstances (at least not overtly), but sometimes we find ourselves unwittingly confined by the walls that physically and/or metaphorically surround us. These “cages” or “prisons” keep us locked in place, preventing us from moving forward in our lives. And no matter how much we may want to see our way clear, sometimes we’re unable to figure out how to proceed.

Brent Marchant2023-04-27T11:22:36-05:00March 29th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Costa Brava’ compares engagement vs. escape

Staying engaged with the pulse of life is arguably the best way to get the most out of our existence. However, there are times when the pressures of everyday living can wear on us, making us feel as though we have to get away, especially if we believe that it’s placing our health, sanity and well-being in jeopardy. Retreating from such conditions can be rejuvenating and put us on a happier and more fulfilling path. But such isolation also has the potential to become a trap

Brent Marchant2022-10-21T05:03:40-05:00September 12th, 2022|Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, 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|