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 !
Superheroines were born in the minds of people desperate to be rescued... Without them, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go... The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough.. Scarlett nevee fails to impress. . .
ReplyDeleteBut there are times people suffer a lot...not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people....
ReplyDeleteThe 10% claim is demonstrably false on a number of levels. The entire brain is active all the time. The brain is an organ. Its living neurons are always doing something..
ReplyDeleteBut you do feel for the protagonist as she loses everything that makes her human, including pain and fear of death...wanting to do something good for humanity..
ReplyDeleteHer end came too soon.. What is more important to Save the World or Change the World...humanity in general ?? Can you in one word (each) describe the past, present and future ??
ReplyDelete"I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." -- Robin Williams. Poor chap, must have been so depressed to take such an extreme step..
ReplyDeleteHave you witnessed snowfall ? What kind of music do you listen to when you want to completely unwind ? Are you fond of pets ? Which is your fav sparkling wine ?
ReplyDeleteShe stared at herself in the mirror, deciding that she looked exactly the same-no real change, except maybe the expression in her eyes. There was something new there - something tangible..she'd cried out for him to fill her up..he could take her all the way.. She wanted to be on top and make frantic love to him.... ..... Am a prisoner with my thoughts. Once again my thoughts drift back to him. I can't help thinking about him. He hovers at the back of my mind - a distant memory I can't forget.. Sometimes I feel as if I am going to explode. There is nobody I can confide in.. I have got used to being without my son. He'd always been the buffer between me and my husband, now there is no one who cares... A dodo bird like woman, slight and nervous, with faded prettiness, wispy hair and resigned eyes..
ReplyDeleteMy endless questions... What re-energises you for the grind at work ? What's luxury to you ?
ReplyDeleteDon't you do anything that's bad for you ? Are you not used to getting turned down ?
ReplyDeleteMost people are awaiting virtual reality; I'm awaiting virtuous reality...
ReplyDeleteNurturing my Bougainville and Chrysanthemum... In full bloom...such a lovely day..
ReplyDeleteSomeone's gonna roll out with laughter...headed to Goa...coming weekend, (minus the family) !! experiment with life...
ReplyDeleteTechnology can hijack the brain.. Distraction is the antagonist of attention, not its opposite. It's an interesting distinction.... Distraction is the devil in our mind, borne of our own desires. We are distracted because we want to be...
ReplyDeleteEven 6 month olds using smartphones !! What is the world coming to ? A world lacking in imagination.... For a layperson like myself who daydreams (desire precedes....) can't fathom..... As the world becomes increasingly mediated by technology and its wonders, the greater is the disconnect... Digital technology distances people from the physical by creating an intermediate reality that is purely abstract.. Would you agree ?? The normative holds sway over the casual..
ReplyDeleteIs that why ad hominem arguments abound - what you say and how valid that might be is of little consequence - what matters is who you are and what motive you possess..
ReplyDelete