Rated
R (Strong Violence, Disturbing Images, and Sexuality)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 30 Minutes
Cast-
Scarlett
Johansson-Lucy
Morgan
Freeman-Professor Samuel Norman
Choi
Min-Sik-Mr. Jang
Amr
Waked-Pierre Del Rio
Analeigh
Tipton-Caroline
Pilou
Asbæk-Richard
Julian
Rhind-Tutt-The Limey
Nicolas
Phongpheth-Jii
Directed
by Luc Besson
Note: Screened on Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.
 |
| Scarlett Johansson develops God-like superpowers after ingesting a synthetic drug in Luc Besson's "Lucy." |
There
are ridiculous films and then there's "Lucy," a bat-sh*t crazy action
flick from French writer-director Luc Besson that mixes mindless shootouts with
an inane sci-fi premise and pseudo-philosophical musings on the 'meaning of
life.' Initial previews from Universal had positioned Besson's latest as a wall-to-wall
action thriller with an ass-kicking super-powered heroine and while that's
still partly true, the resulting film is actually more like Stanley Kubrick's
"2001: A Space Odyssey" and Terrence Malick's "The Tree of
Life," but filtered through the lens of a Eurotrash action movie. Besson hasn't
directed much since 1999, when "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc"
flopped with both critics and audiences. He instead shifted his focus on writing
and producing, with his production company EuropaCorp releasing a seemingly endless
stream of disposable Eurotrash action thrillers like "The Transporter,"
"Taken," and "Colombiana." Besson sporadically returned to
the director's chair to branch out into other genres but these films, such as
the little-seen 2011 biopic "The Lady" and last year's Martin
Scorsese-produced crime dramedy "The Family," often received negative
reviews. What he needed to do was to go back to the good ol' days of "La
Femme Nikita" and "Léon: The Professional." Although "Lucy"
isn't quite a return to form for Besson, it's at least a step in the right direction
for the filmmaker. Much of what happens makes little logical sense but his
strong commitment to the film's absurd premise—combined with Scarlett Johansson's
equally strong performance—make for a solidly entertaining late-summer watch.
Twenty-five
year old party girl Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), who's studying abroad in Taipei,
Taiwan, finds herself in over her head when her week-long boyfriend Richard (Pilou
Asbæk) suddenly handcuffs a locked briefcase to her wrist and forces her to deliver
it to a ruthless Korean gangster named Mr. Jang (Choi Min-Sik). After giving
her the combination to open the briefcase—which contain four packets of a brand-new
and powerful blue-powdered synthetic drug dubbed 'CPH4'—Jang enlists an
unwilling Lucy to work as one of his drug mules, with one of the packets surgically
implanted into her lower abdomen while she's under sedation. During her captivity,
one of Jang's thugs repeatedly kicks Lucy in the stomach, causing the contents
of the packet to leak into the rest of her body. Instead of killing her, the drug
begins to rapidly expand her brain usage beyond the normal 10%. Lucy soon develops
a host of superhuman abilities, turning her into a God-like being of unimaginable
power. With her humanity slipping away as her brain usage steadily increases to
100%, Lucy reaches out to Professor Samuel Norman (Morgan Freeman), a specialist
who lectures on the limits of the human mind. While Norman and his colleagues help
her prepare humankind for the next stage of evolution, Lucy tasks French police
officer Pierre Del Rio (Amr Waked) with finding the remaining three CPH4 packets
and putting a stop to Jang's illegal activities.
 |
| Morgan Freeman's role largely serves to deliver exposition but he continues to lend his usual gravitas with a committed performance alongside co-star Johannson. |
I
don't know if Luc Besson drank too much coffee or got high one morning but
"Lucy" is one of the most bizarre action thrillers I've ever seen. First
off, the film's premise, which revolves around the whole idea that we use only 10%
of our brains, is complete hogwash as the entire brain is active at all times. Certain areas will be
significantly more active depending on what we're doing. However, this myth
continues to persist despite being repeatedly proven to be untrue. In fact, a survey
last year by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research found that 65%
of Americans believe the myth is true, which is 5% more than those who believe in evolution. Of course, Besson doesn't give a crap about logic and fully
commits to the film's nonsensical concept. I actually admire him for doing that
because too many directors nowadays often play it safe. Sure, "Lucy" gets
more and more ridiculous as it progresses but before I get into how ridiculous, let's start at the beginning,
specifically the beginning as the
film opens with a prehistoric prologue modeled after the 'Dawn of Man' sequence
in "2001: A Space Odyssey." An early hominid is shown squatting in a
stream during this scene. However, this is no ordinary hominid; it's the famous
Lucy, one of the earliest human ancestors we have physical evidence of. In
voiceover, present-day Lucy asks, 'Life was given to us a billion years ago. What
have we done with it?' Before that question could be answered, the film snaps back
into a typical Besson vehicle, at least for the first half with its fast cuts,
violent gunplay, and dark humor. The French director lends the picture some
weird visual flourishes, like juxtaposing nature footage of a cheetah chasing and
mauling a gazelle while a helpless Lucy is taken prisoner by Jang's thugs, because
Lucy is like a gazelle. Don't you get it? DON'T YOU!?
Things
get interesting once Lucy gets her powers. Hell, she even defies the laws of gravity
while overdosing! This is the point where the film turns into a super-powered
version of "La Femme Nikita," with the titular character going on a rampage
against Jang's men in a scene set to Mozart's first act of Requiem, because why the hell not? Besson cuts to a counter every ten
or so minutes to signify her steadily increasing brain function. Soon, Lucy is absorbing
knowledge at a vastly accelerated rate. She can see living cells and data
streams and can even control matter itself upon hitting 60%. There's a stylish
car chase set on the streets of Paris where she's flinging vehicles left and
right with only her mind. Obviously, none of this is based on any real science
despite the film's attempts to convince you otherwise but that's part of the
fun as you try to figure out what kind of craziness it's going to pull off
next. However, viewers who were hoping to see Lucy kick all kinds of ass will
likely come away disappointed as she becomes less and less human the more powerful
she becomes, with her physical form unable to contain all her abilities. The
relatively action-packed second act gives way to something a bit more
contemplative. This is when Besson goes absolutely bonkers with a trippy
sequence that literally spans time and space. As Gabe Toro perfectly describes it in his own
review, this scene is 'a whirling fantasia of effects and images.' Even dinosaurs
make an appearance just like in "The Tree of Life"! Ultimately,
"Lucy" tackles the same themes in Kubrick and Malick's films: the insignificance
of human existence when compared to the vastness of the cosmos, the transience
of time, and the fact that our species has a long way to go in terms of
evolution. Leave it to Besson to craft a feature that feels dumb and profound
at the same time.
 |
| I sense a mindless shootout is about to happen... |
A
lot of people tend to dismiss Scarlett Johansson as a pretty face but she's
proven herself numerous times to be a great actress. Her role as Black Widow in
the Marvel Studios films have allowed her to take on a variety of interesting
projects like last year's unconventional "Her" from Spike Jonze,
where she voices an advanced computer operating system, and this past April's
hauntingly mesmerizing "Under the Skin" from Jonathan Glazer, where
she portrays an alien seductress. While Johansson's role in "Lucy" isn't
as challenging as those films, she nonetheless delivers a committed performance
and treats the material with the utmost seriousness. Her character's
helplessness in the opening act allows us to immediately sympathize with her plight,
with a telephone call to Lucy's mother proving to be particularly heartbreaking
as it represents the final moment where Lucy experiences true human emotion.
Despite transforming into an affectless superwoman, Johansson remains
compelling to watch and a big part of why Besson's film even works is due to her presence. The
twenty-nine year old actress always had it in her to become a kick-ass action heroine
so hopefully this role opens up even more doors for her, including a solo
"Black Widow" movie. The supporting cast is largely just along for
the ride but like Johansson, they commit to their roles in spite of the story's
preposterousness. Morgan Freeman spends much of the film delivering exposition
and looking flummoxed at Lucy's growing powers as Professor Samuel Norman. South
Korean actor Choi Min-Sik—famous for his critically-acclaimed role in Park
Chan-Wook's 2003 revenge thriller "Oldboy"—seethes with intense rage
as brutal gangster Mr. Jang in his English-language debut while Amr Waked's Pierre Del Rio provides a hint of
romantic tension, with his character finding himself intrigued by this God-like
femme fatale.
Released
on July 25, 2014, "Lucy" has received better-than-expected reviews
with 58% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that Besson's latest was 'enthusiastically
silly' but it partially succeeds thanks to its 'cheesy thrills and Scarlett
Johansson's charm.' Universal originally scheduled the film for August 8th but the
studio wisely moved it from that crowded release date to a more box office
friendly one in July. Thanks to its intriguing high-concept premise and
action-packed trailers, "Lucy" managed to debut with an impressive
$43.9 million, although audience reception was lukewarm. When I saw the film
during an advance screening, many viewers were left confused by what happened
at the end. Still, $100 million isn't exactly out of reach for this loony
action thriller. Ludicrously silly and completely over-the-top,
"Lucy" doesn't quite represent a return to form for Luc Besson but
this is definitely his most ambitious work in years. While almost nothing makes
logical sense, the sheer craziness that follows from its ridiculous premise make
for a visually interesting and entertaining flick. Honestly, this is destined
to be a cult classic, especially to stoners looking to experience a colorful
power-trip!
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
"Life
was given to us a billion years ago. Now you know what to do with it."
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