Chasing (Quantum) Rabbits

I don't have a movie this month, but I need a break (more or less) from other activities. My last entry tagged "chasing rabbits" from 2021 if I'm not wrong, was linked to the first part of "Dune" back then, without much connection to the movie though. Now, I didn't have time to see the second part of "Dune" so we can skip that completely. What made me spent some time during last month was a bit of research on a subject that I wouldn't have touched unless I really had to, but it's not the first time it happens to get on my agenda something unconvenient...

I'll prefer staying more cryptic on the background of all this, but who catched some of my previous entries tagged the same as the current might remember that I was speculating around time travel, unexpected randomness in life, and others (or maybe I remember it wrong, because I'm not in the mood, and I don't have the time either, to re-read my own ramblings). The point is that what follows fits with the same "category".

This time I'm gonna stick to an enumeration of short ideas, probably with a very weak basis, but which connect somehow between them, as much as to produce some questions. So, let's start, with apologies in advance for where I'm completely off-track (that's why we have links to external sources).

We can say informally about a particla in a reference system observed from a quantum physics perspective that it's in coherence at the moment when it's simultaneously in multiple states in isolation (aka in a superposition), and when it decoheres it "chooses" one of these states following the contact with the external environment (getting basically into a typical mechanical physics reference system).
Links: What is Quantum Coherence? + the Wikipedia entry.

There is something called the Penrose/Hameroff model aka Orchestrated Object Reduction (or in brief Orch Or), which again, informally, states that the conscious thinking might be influenced by a physiological process taking place at the level of some microparticles in the brain = micro tubules, following their passing with a certain frequency, from quantum coherence to a decoherence state (= losing their superposition). By extension, we could speculate that the subconscious activity is linked with the period when these particles are in coherence (in superposition).
Links: Orch OR and the Quantum Biology of Consciousness + the Wikipedia entry.

Caveat: As many theories in the realm of quantum physics Orch Or is .. a theory. There are even practical experiments contradicting it, but these also bring up the idea that the model could be extended to something plausible.
Link: Quantum theory of consciousness put in doubt by underground experiment

In a semi-obscure journal, more than 10 years ago, there was another theory based on Orch Or, which in brief says that within the brain of a schizophrenic the physiological processes of micro tubules activity might be altered, more precisely the switches from coherence (superposition) to decoherence (a single state) do not produce quick enough, or at the frequency they're supposed to normally, the consequence being the altered behaviour = basically the delirious state, which again speculating, might originate from the person's subconscious. The journal might be semi-obscure, but it's not the only publication which somehow heads into this direction.
Links: Quantum Logic of the Unconscious and Schizophrenia + altceva prin zona Understanding Schizophrenia as a Disorder of Consciousness: Biological Correlates and Translational Implications from Quantum Theory Perspectives.

Up to this point we can say we have known facts. Actually now we start speculating (much more)...
In somebody's subconscious we don't know what can we find, that's why it is called a subconscious. But typically, what someone who's diagnosed with the above condition says in a delirious state is, or seems outside the reality that all of us know. Now, there's a question - why in a quantum coherence of some micro tubules in subconscious, the brain produces something that's not in its known realm of reality, but outside of it?

In a completely different direction we have something called the Everett-Wheeler model or Everett-DeWitt or Many-Worlds-Interpretation (MWI), which in brief, tells us that from a quantum perspective, anything that might decohere to a certain state it actually generates a new reality, and consequently a new distinct temporal line with its own evolution, and practically... we don't actually have a loss of superposition to a certain state - we have a continuous superposition, but the realities are somehow distinct and do not interact.
Links: Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics + the Wikipedia entry.

Now, wrapping (well, time is limited in this reality), we can ask two questions:
the light one - how does time flow in each distinct reality? (there are probably hypotheses for this but I didn't have time to look)
the hard one - if Orch Or and MWI wouldn't be just theories, and somehow we could have a possible intersection between these models, meaning not being completely incompatible, could someone with deranged micro tubules get somehow access in a subconscious state to a different image of other realities? (from where could extract firm beliefs about stuff that does not exist in the current reality)

To note that what's above is sheer speculation, and the undersigned with all responsibility does not have any firm belief about their validity. I have a background as researcher, but it's not in quantum physics, and the linked resources were barely skimmed, not read in detail, so I don't have any claim that what's above has much soundness in it (by the way, if there's any error on any interpretation of some reference, please send corrections). Besides that, sometimes is dangeorus to speculate over sensible matters.

Still... even though I finished writing this entry on April 1st, I dated it when I started it = on March 31st ;)

Anatomie d'une chute (2023)

I don't know if my subconscious was guided by some late problems to choose "Anatomie d'une chute"/"Anatomy of a Fall" as subject for the current entry, but what is certain is that I don't have any other subject left that I've seen this winter, for which I could give a higher rating. Besides that, I also don't have the time today, in the last day of this February (luckily it's a leap year), to put something on the blog for this month too. This movie has the advantage that it can be summarized quickly. We have a german writer, in a remarkable interpretation of Sandra Huller, relocated in a mountain area in France, together with her husband a son left almost blind after a former accident. The woman gets charged as a suspect when her husband is found dead following a fall from one of the floors of the chalet they're living in. What follows is a trial revealing the background of a disfunctional family, untangled, at least as it seems to be, in the end by the son who proves a surprisingly mature objectiveness in analysing the case. Cinematographically, the movie doesn't really stand out. Maybe the editing raises a bit more above the average. However, it's a production that overall can be perceived as... consistent, or better said, heavy, concerning the analysis of a family's life. What's contradictory though is that sometimes is too thin - besides the appearances, there are some parts where it is superficial compared to what can, unfortunately, exist in reality. What's certain is that's good to be watched as warning. But I get to contradict myself on what I was saying years ago about a movie being meant to remove you from reality, at least for a couple of hours :) Maybe I'll get back with something more optimistic next month ;) It depends up to where the falls go.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Fast Charlie (2023)

If I should make a top for the discrepancy between the feel a trailer leaves you with and a movie, for what I've watched in the last two-three years, "Fast Charlie" would probably come up somewhere among the top positions. Now well... the impression is subjective after all, both concerning the trailer, and the movie.

At least the subject you can get partially from the two minutes attached at the end of this entry. Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan) is a "fixer" for a criminal outfit from.. Biloxi, Mississippi (fact: the city has less than 50k inhabitants). Which organization, after 30 years of dominating the territory under the rule of the "godfather" Stan Mullen (James Caan in his last part), becomes the target of a "hostile takeover" by a young gangster who decides to eliminate everybody close to the leader. The story is predictable if you look at the trailer, Charlie escapes and seeks revenge. What's not that predictable is that this action thread is less major than it looks to be, and the movie is actually quite far from the typical standard B-series payback action thriller. First, we have plenty of nuances of black comedy. Second, we also have another set of more fine nuances of slow drama with insertions related to the late midlife chrisis of the main character. In some way, it feels a bit like the movies of Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges", "Seven Psychopats", etc.), but it's not really on par with these. However, you can feel there's a novel behind it = the story is not as thin as it mai seem at a first sight. We also have romance insertions and others, leaving the main thread somehow in background as I said.

It's not a movie that I could recommend besides the reasons written above. The actors do their job fine. The director (Phillip Noyce) does his job fine - the movie progression keeps you there, you don't feel any unnecessary length. Still, especially from a technical point of view, there's nothing remarkable about it. Maybe just the final minutes when you get a visual/audio arrangement meant to get a final thumbs up from you. Otherwise, it feels more like a made for tv movie, from which you expected a bit more. In the end it probably depends a lot of your mood. And in my case it came up in a moment when what I can do is to say again :) the impression is subjective.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

L'ombra di Caravaggio (2022)

It happens sometimes, quite rarely I'd say, to find in the schedule of the mall cinema non-mainstream titles produced outside US or locally. But it's also rare to make me interested enough for a big screen experience, and to be able to get to what's typically one scheduling per day in cinema requires luck. Well, one exception was "L'ombra di Caravaggio". I can say that visually did worth the time, except that so & so...

The subject, the life of Michelangelo Merisi known as Caravaggio, is one that you'll find very fitting for a movie if you do some quick online research. This production starts from the point where the painter, fled to Naples after being sentenced for a murder during a street brawl tries to find his way back to Rome, needing for this an official papal pardon. The script introduces in the story a character hired by the church for investigating the accused. From here onward we have a radiography of Caravaggio's entire career getting us through the troubled life of the man from his first paintings to the status of recognized artist of the time, but permanently in conflict with the clergy for the freedom taken to depict his works.

The director of the movie is Michele Placido, probably known for his main role in "La piovra" decades ago, and all I can say is that.. well, unfortunately it confirms my opinion that when directing is done by an actor it typically shows, and not in a positive manner. What we have here is a "deconstructed" Caravaggio. The connections are sufficiently coherent for linking the experiences in the life of Caravaggio the man with the impact over Caravaggio the painter, which more or less speculating what history preserves as known facts tries to get to deeper meaning. Still, the keyword remains "sufficiently". You can feel that the movie is sort of disconnected and made by patching pieces, permanently jumping from flashbacks to present and back to the past. Another problem, even more obvious, is the secondary cast. If Riccardo Scamarcio makes a perfect role for how the history preserved the image of the charactere, the rest of actors seemed to me overacting way too often, starting with the "shadow" Louis Garrel as the church investigator. Maybe it's a directing metaphor as reference to the contrast met as specific element in Caravaggio's pieces, although I doubt it. It looks more like an economy for more takes on a scene.

Over all the above problems, we still have left a visual story that's done very well, getting you through the history of Caravaggio's paintings, up to reconstructing an entire piece on the screen. So, I can say that if you're interested in the cinematography of a movie, this one definitely deserves watching. Besides that, what's presented behind the documentary value of the production, is also probably up to a personal interpretation for each viewer, on which, at least at the current time, I'm not sure how objective I could be. The essence is probably that during history, whoever had some level of inteliggence high enough, more obvious in arts but there are examples in other areas, also had his or hers own demons. The important part is how well can you keep these for your own without affecting the people around, and it's complicated to find a balance that allows you to leave something behind you. Over time, history seems to say that Caravaggio managed to get right at least the second part. Besides that... Happy Holidays ;)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Winter-Spring 2023-2024 Movie Preview

I got to the seasonal entry for the start of winter for what's coming up in the next six months, which once again saves me for lacking another subject. So, let's see...

For December, we already have a release that normally wouldn't be in my area of interest: "Godzilla Minus One" or using its original name "Gojira -1.0". There are two reasons that made me stop to this title: the reviews that got out until now are quite promising and the fact that this is not made in Hollywood = here we have the Japanese alternative to the American version, for which I skipped the last installments. As I said, "monster movie" is not really part of the genres I watch, but for this I'll probably make an exception.

In January we have a light action with some nuance of comedy: "Role Play". The recepy of the wed couple where one (or both) has a secret life is not a new one, but I don't see any other more promising title for the beginning of the year. At least this one has some "fun to watch" potential.

I didn't stop easily in February at a movie with the Marvel logo attached somewhere in its credits, but I've been expecting already for some time to see a better version of what "Next" with Nicolas Cage was (originally a short story by P.K. Dick), and this is something I finally seem to get in "Madame Web". Out of the trailer looks like that the super-hero context, if present, at least won't be dominating this. Hopefully...

The most expected release in March is the second part of "Dune" postponed from November, which I checked on the previous previews list, so let's move directly to April. Unfortunately it's not a month with many released trailers, and the only I can pick is the US replica of the title we started with = "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire". And like that, I ended up having two "monster movies" in this list. Now, everybody can choose which to pick...

I'm going to end with May when we'll have the "Furiosa" prequel, by George Miller to his "Mad Max" reboot from 2015. I wasn't very confident back than in how the movie will end up, but it was a nice surprise. I'm not very confindent now either. So...