The premise of Lucy is a little confusing. Scarlett Johansson plays the titular character, who is tricked into working into a drug mule for an Asian mafia. She has to carry their product inside her internationally, and in a freak accident, the container ruptures, sending the drugs into her system. Lucy gains a multitude of superhuman abilities. Instead of being able to use the 10% of the brain humans are normally able to use, she is now unlocking different parts of her brain, and moving upward to 100%. Lucy needs the product to stay alive, so she hunts down the other drug mules to extract it. Only the mafia that is hunting her and the others down becomes a problem for her.
To enjoy this movie, you just have to accept its rules. The idea that humans only use 10% of the brain is 100% myth, but you have to just sit back and let Lucy run its course, and then, you can enjoy it. Scarlett Johansson, whether she's changing her physical appearance at will, or throwing enemies into the wall, is fantastic in the role. One side effect of the drug is that she loses all emotions and feelings, but at the same time can feel every living being on the planet, the gravity, and the air around her. Strange, but only she could pull it off. I've been a fan of her work since We Bought a Zoo in 2011, and with her work as Black Widow in the Marvel movies, and her voice acting in Her earlier this year, my whole family has become huge fans of Scarlett Johansson. Morgan Freeman exists only to be...well Morgan Freeman. Like many movies he does now, he only exists to narrate and give explanations to the audience. Not a problem, it's what Morgan Freeman does best!
The opening half hour is probably one of the best openings I've seen in any film...ever! Sadly, the movie isn't consistent. The last fifteen or twenty minutes get pretty ridiculous, to make for one of the strangest movie endings I've ever seen. I can't call it a great movie, but I can't say it's bad either. If you go to see Lucy, you have to know what you're getting into. If you're okay with that, and laughing at how ridiculous it can get, it will be a very entertaining movie.
The following movies are the five movies that I am most looking forward to in the next three months.
1.) Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoë Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel
I've seen every Marvel film. I saw The Avengers three times in theaters. I wouldn't consider myself a "fanboy" though, for every Captain America: The Winter Soldier there is an Iron Man 3 or Thor: The Dark World. Those two were huge disappointments for me. Guardians of the Galaxy is
the story of four criminals who join together to change their destinies
and save the world. It looks so bizarre, and so non-canonfor
what Marvel fans are used to, I can't really see the general public
flocking to the theaters to see this one. However, the fact that I have
no idea how this connects to the universe they work so hard to
establish, entices me so much. I have high hopes for this movie, even if
Bradley Cooper is playing an talking raccoon, and Vin Diesel a talking
tree-monster.
2.) Gone Girl (October 3)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name.
Nick and Amy Dunne (Affleck and Pike) are a married couple celebrating
their anniversary, when Amy disappears without a trace. That is until
the police find clues that all point to her husband, and the intense
media circus surrounding her disappearance turns on him. If you've read
the book, you know the twists and turns that surround this story. It's
being directed by David Fincher, who directed such movies as Fight Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
I think he's the only one who could direct this movie. I hope this
movie is as good as the book, and as good as the trailer makes it out to
be. It looks like a mind-blowing thriller that could get a ton of awards coverage.
3.) Whiplash (October 10)
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
This
is an independent movie, so look for it at the Railroad Square Cinema.
It tells the story of a music student enrolled at a prestigious academy
(Teller) where the band instructor (Simmons) has a different approach to
teaching. He is verbally and physically abusive to his students,
pushing them to their limits. Being a music student for the past 6
years, this interests me, even though I'm sure it will make any viewer
uncomfortable. The trailer makes it look very intense, to say the least.
4.) The Giver (August 15)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites
I can't tell if I'm "excited" for this or not. The Giver was a book I was taught in middle school, and it really is a fantastic book. It's a book that should be made into a movie, but I would've rather it had been an independent awards-bait film than a Hollywood blockbuster, which this looks like. Still, I'm really looking forward to seeing what they can do with it, and I have no doubt that Jeff Bridges as The Giver and Meryl Streep as the Chief Elder will be great in their roles nonetheless.
5.) The Judge (October 10)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton
This is the story of a successful bigshot lawyer (Downey Jr) who returns to his small-town home for his mother's funeral, only to discover his long estranged father (Duvall), the town's respected judge, is suspected of murder. He decides to put their differences aside and defend him in court. I'm a fan of Robert Downey Jr from Iron Man as well as Tropic Thunder, but I've never really seen his dramatic side. Robert Duvall is a great actor, as is Billy Bob Thornton and Vera Farmiga, though she's a supporting player in most films such as Up in the Air and The Departed, she's consistent. This looks like a good feel-good movie.
My dear cousin has made his introduction... He'll be doing the serious "pretend to know about the movie business" thing, while I provide the color commentary, caddy comments, and generally useless sarcasm that only an older cousin can provide...
Logan may occasionally make suggestions, like which movies you (or worse, I) should see... then I will make my own suggestions, and comparisons. For humor's sake of course...
Enjoy!!
Welcome to my blog From the Film Roll! In this blog I'll be submitting movie reviews on newly released films I see, as well as giving updates on what's happening in the movie business. This can range from casting announcements, to new trailers (some with accompanying reviews) and news from the top film companies like Disney and Marvel! I hope you enjoy all the features of From the Film Roll!
-Logan Rollins (co-creator)
