Lucy

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 1st August, 2014
Time : 90 minutes
Director, Writer : Luc Besson; Music : Eric Serra
Starring : Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Waked



This is similar to the central premise of Bradley Cooper’s Limitless but is better because a) it goes further in exploring the logical train of thought b) it stars the delectable Scarlett Johansson

Morgan Freeman’s gravelly voice informs us, while lecturing a class, that humans use only 7%-8% of their cerebral capacity. Dolphins, apparently are the only species that use more. And he speculates, along with his students, on what could be the scenarios if we did end up using more…

Scarlett, in the titular role, tries to deliver a suitcase to a drug-lord, Min-sik Choi. And then things go wrong. He makes her an offer she cant refuse, getting her and a few others to be drug mules for a new drug, CPH4. But when the drug accidentally leaks in her stomach, she is able to use more and more of her brain, and is determined to seek vengeance and also help humanity, with the help of Morgan Freeman.

The film, apart from being thought provoking, is also a visual treat. Stunning montages of the animal kingdom, nature at its best, human history punctuate Morgan’s lecture and in one particularly scintillating sequence, Scarlett travels through time, visiting some spectacular scenery along the way.

The more important aspect, though, is thinking about what would actually happen if we began to use more of the neuron connections inside us. Unlocking memories, controlling radio waves, magnets, metallic objects, other humans, decoding their secrets with merely a touch…its all quite mind-boggling (pun intended) and beautifully shown.

Scarlett, of course, is simply amazing. Runs the whole gamut of emotions, being coquettish, scared, matter of fact, in control (even when driving at high speed on the wrong side of the road in Paris), angry, vengeful with consummate ease. She keeps us hooked all the way through, slipping into skin of her character effortlessly. The end was a little tame, kind of neither here nor there but wouldn’t really want to quibble.

I’ve always been a huge fan of high-concept films like this one. Add Scarlett in the mix and the panache of Luc Besson as a director, and you cant really go wrong !