Lucy

I was hoping that after watching this show that I would be able to say "I love 'Lucy'" but I wasn't expecting to. I always get quite mentally overwhelmed when watching movies that realistically portray the intense mental state of a protagonist. The gruesome scenes in this film contributed to my nausea. I was also overwhelmed as I watched "Inception" for the first time but because the story of that film was its focus, that movie was much better. The focus of "Lucy" was its theme. As a result, the story did a great job at communicating its central message but failed somewhat to entertain the audience. They more likely will come away exhausted like I was. Also, the only part of the plot that was not predicable was the climax so while the movie could have been worse; it also could have been better.

The resume of director Luc Besson is impressive. One cinematic element I noticed was the editing. For example, there were some humorous, metaphorical visuals at the start of the show. Once of inciting incident occurs however, these classy sight gags are done away with and replaced with video clips that you would expect to appear in a university lecture. The technique of the editing/visual storytelling changes in the opening half and that is unfortunate. I like how Lucy attempts to stop those who kidnapped her while at the same time trying to make sense of her newly found mental powers. I agree with the idea explored in "Lucy" that eternity is incomprehensible for the mortal mind. One theory that the story could have explored is that even though humans cannot currently use their brains to their fullest extent, they might be able to someday. I personally believe that this will happens as part of the afterlife for those worthy of such a privilege. The final line of the movie is obviously there so that the audience can apply Lucy's new perspective to their own lives. The message is motivational but somewhat preachy thanks to the final line. There is a lack of subtly when it comes to the theme of "Lucy".

Angelina Jolie was supposed to be the title character and her performance I believe would have been just as good as Scarlett Johansson's. Jolie may have dropped out but the filmmakers' second choice was perfect. If you need a supporting actor that can perfectly portray a scientist with groundbreaking theories, who better than Morgan Freeman? Even though I have not seen "Limitless", I was expecting a similar synopsis when I went to see "Lucy". Such is not the case and the latter film is original enough. The movie explores a profound idea but the story that did the exploring might not be all that fun to watch. "Lucy" is very intense mentally to the point that the film for the most part was not all that enjoyable. It could be better the second time around but probably not.

3 Stars