I just happen to work in a fun place where they play movies on Fridays... last Friday, it was time for Lucy. I was already late to this party and not having watched it before, jumped at it!
The concept is great, and director Luc Besson seemed to know clearly what he wanted to convey. He has done a great job with the delivery, too. But the interest faded for me a quarter distance into the film; and here's why:
Lucy, a 25-year old student in Taiwan, is administered a drug forcefully - CPH4 - following a smuggling deal gone wrong. The subject is top-notch - what happens when you realize more brain power than the average human... what if you cross the 5%... wait, 10%, and then 20, 40, 60, 80, and then hit 100%!? Well, your imagination may run wild and so does it with Besson... but the plot just turns silly!
It could have been portrayed much more vividly, than some super-brained bombshell walking into a hospital in broad daylight carrying a gun that no one even seems to notice or care about... And If Lucy knew everything, then why did she need the internet to find about Samuel Norman!? But, then, you probably have to give the director credit for trying something unique here, at least with regard to the premise, if not the plot.
It's just that it didn't make sense to me.
The story had more potential that eventually comes across on screen. I had enjoyed another movie a few years ago, called Leon: The Professional, by the same film-maker. Now, that was FUN all way through!!!! Nonetheless, I look forward to his next venture.
Scarlett Johansson gives a sincere performance and is a director's delight. I'm wondering if she even surprised him, pleasantly! She is outstanding...
Morgan Freeman sleepwalks through his role of a renowned scientist, as he is well-suited to such wise characters.
I really enjoyed watching Choi Min-sik (yes, the legend from Old Boy!) and wished he had more screen time.
Other pluses:
There was this airplane that had "Air Bengali" written on it. Found that interesting! I later Googled to find out if there's any such airline, and turns out it's just fictional.
The concept is great, and director Luc Besson seemed to know clearly what he wanted to convey. He has done a great job with the delivery, too. But the interest faded for me a quarter distance into the film; and here's why:
Lucy, a 25-year old student in Taiwan, is administered a drug forcefully - CPH4 - following a smuggling deal gone wrong. The subject is top-notch - what happens when you realize more brain power than the average human... what if you cross the 5%... wait, 10%, and then 20, 40, 60, 80, and then hit 100%!? Well, your imagination may run wild and so does it with Besson... but the plot just turns silly!
It could have been portrayed much more vividly, than some super-brained bombshell walking into a hospital in broad daylight carrying a gun that no one even seems to notice or care about... And If Lucy knew everything, then why did she need the internet to find about Samuel Norman!? But, then, you probably have to give the director credit for trying something unique here, at least with regard to the premise, if not the plot.
It's just that it didn't make sense to me.
The story had more potential that eventually comes across on screen. I had enjoyed another movie a few years ago, called Leon: The Professional, by the same film-maker. Now, that was FUN all way through!!!! Nonetheless, I look forward to his next venture.
Scarlett Johansson gives a sincere performance and is a director's delight. I'm wondering if she even surprised him, pleasantly! She is outstanding...
Morgan Freeman sleepwalks through his role of a renowned scientist, as he is well-suited to such wise characters.
I really enjoyed watching Choi Min-sik (yes, the legend from Old Boy!) and wished he had more screen time.
Other pluses:
- A great concept
- Some excellent dialogues
- Scarlett Johansson's sincere performance
- The music, by Eric Serra - interestingly different
- The length of the film
- And some profound messages here:
i. We humans are more concerned with having than with being.
ii. 10% might not seem like much, but it's a lot if you look at all we've done with it.
[first flight, fighter jets, road way, armies, robots, stock market, rockets, satellite]
iii. Life seems to have only one single purpose. Gaining time. While going through time seems to be the one purpose of our times.
There was this airplane that had "Air Bengali" written on it. Found that interesting! I later Googled to find out if there's any such airline, and turns out it's just fictional.
At the end of the day, I wondered what a Nolan may have done with it... or even a Kubrick or a David Lynch or Alejandro González Iñárritu... this could have been a mind-bender... but sadly, turns into a doltish action film.
My verdict: 1.5 out of 5, and an additional 1 for the concept itself. So, 2.5 out of 5.
My verdict: 1.5 out of 5, and an additional 1 for the concept itself. So, 2.5 out of 5.
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