Lucy – 8
You’ll like this movie if you like:
You’ll like this movie if you like:
- Scarlett Johansson
- Time Lapse special effects
- The omni-present Morgan Freeman
The orgasmic special effects in this extravaganza try hard
to distract the viewer from the nonsensical nature of the story. The plot doesn’t even approach plausibility,
but what else is new at the movies? Director
Luc Beeson just runs away with his imagination.
To say that you will have to suspend disbelief would be the
understatement of the year.
Scarlett Johansson plays Lucy with a surprising physical
gusto. Lucy is an involuntary drug mule
who gets the goods surgically implanted in her body. Things would have gone fine had she not been
kicked in the gut several times by a thug.
The drug gets released and she gets amazing superpowers. Morgan Freeman is on hand to explain it
all. He’s a professor who studies the
brain and has done some nice speculation on what would happen if we used more
of our brainpower. Along comes Lucy to
prove some of his theories.
Now how it is that Lucy can throw objects and bad guys around
with her mind is never really explained, but it sure is fun to see her kick
butt, drive real fast, discover her powers etc.
She becomes obsessed with getting some more of that synthetic drug to
continue to expand her mind and her rather ludicrous, but handy powers.
In the end, during the coolest part of the movie, her mind
unleashes some wicked time lapse time travel, and it’s pretty neat. It’s an interesting movie about the power of
the brain. Too bad it’s best enjoyed by
leaving your brain at home.
Get On Up – 7
You’ll like this movie if you like
You’ll like this movie if you like
- James Brown
- Chadwick Boseman
- Soul Music.
Here, he inhabits the hard working James Brown right down to the sweat. It’s an amazing performance.
The editing is the problem.
At this point we may never see a linear movie again, told step by step
to a climax. Instead the vogue is to
jump around in time with the audience holding on for dear life. Where are we?
What year is it? Oh, there’s a
label. The effect of the time shifting
is particularly hurtful here, because of all the ironies, it renders a movie
about the Godfather of Soul a little soulless.
Some episodes are great, some are mild, some pointless. The heart isn’t there. But the music sure is, and it’s worth seeing
for that reason.
So, I only caught movies at the end of the month, because
the beginning of the month featured an all too rare trip to Broadway, where the
talent level absolutely slays me. One of
the movies we decided not to see this month was “Jersey Boys” because we had
never seen the Broadway play, which we finally kicked off the bucket list the
first night in New York.
Here’s what we saw, all music of our youth, all basically following the same template of storytelling and furniture moving:
Here’s what we saw, all music of our youth, all basically following the same template of storytelling and furniture moving:
Jersey Boys – 10
As good as advertised, it will rank up there with Phantom of the Opera, Chorus Line, and Smokey Joe’s Café on my short list of favorite musicals. This rousing story of the singing group The Four Seasons and their ups and downs doesn’t have a dead moment, and is an enlightening biography of a seminal group of musicians. Can’t wait to see it again. Its 2005 success undoubtedly opened the door for….
Motown – 9
This story of Berry Gordy and the music that was pioneered at his Detroit “Hitsville” is another rollicking good time. Not quite as sharp as Jersey Boys, but filled with the same type of drama, passion, and great singing. Its success undoubtedly opened the door for….
Beautiful – 8
“Beautiful” is a song from one of the largest selling albums of all time. Carole King’s “Tapestry” was a backdrop to the early 70’s and marked her popularity as a performer instead of just a songwriter. This play starts in the early days of her partnership with her erratic husband Gerry Goffin, who wrote the words to her music in the early days. The highlight of this play is the amazing performance of Jessie Mueller, who not only impersonates Carole, but cuts loose as the curtain comes down to let you know that she is more than just an mimic. It’s rather glossy in the beginning when the songs are sung one after another by imitation singing groups of the era, but it’s still fun. And Jessie is worth the trip.
As good as advertised, it will rank up there with Phantom of the Opera, Chorus Line, and Smokey Joe’s Café on my short list of favorite musicals. This rousing story of the singing group The Four Seasons and their ups and downs doesn’t have a dead moment, and is an enlightening biography of a seminal group of musicians. Can’t wait to see it again. Its 2005 success undoubtedly opened the door for….
Motown – 9
This story of Berry Gordy and the music that was pioneered at his Detroit “Hitsville” is another rollicking good time. Not quite as sharp as Jersey Boys, but filled with the same type of drama, passion, and great singing. Its success undoubtedly opened the door for….
Beautiful – 8
“Beautiful” is a song from one of the largest selling albums of all time. Carole King’s “Tapestry” was a backdrop to the early 70’s and marked her popularity as a performer instead of just a songwriter. This play starts in the early days of her partnership with her erratic husband Gerry Goffin, who wrote the words to her music in the early days. The highlight of this play is the amazing performance of Jessie Mueller, who not only impersonates Carole, but cuts loose as the curtain comes down to let you know that she is more than just an mimic. It’s rather glossy in the beginning when the songs are sung one after another by imitation singing groups of the era, but it’s still fun. And Jessie is worth the trip.
Scanning the Satellite:
Couldn’t go without my latest “HBO has done it again.” I really wasn’t going to watch “The
Leftovers.” This story of the aftermath
of 40 million people just disappearing one day off of the earth didn’t sound
that interesting. Wrong again Rico. It’s riveting and it’s either a metaphor for
the middle east, or maybe the future of America, or I don’t know what, but this
is probably the most bizarre show since Twin Peaks and I just know there is no
chance for it to end well, but I am shouting in amazement at the screen. I can’t repeat here what I shout. One thing for sure. One of the lead actresses, Carrie Coon, is so
good that if she’s not a star of the future, I’ll quit while I’m ahead. Wow.
Just Wow.
But HBO didn’t stop there. “Last Week with John Oliver” brings us John Oliver. Who is John Oliver? Hell if I know. But he’s British and he’s hysterical and as incisive as a dagger as he sums up what happened in the previous week during a half hour news show/comedy show/something or other. Watch it once, just once. I read somewhere recently that someone famous (I can’t remember who at this moment) said you should change your mind about something important every day. This show will help.
Finally, I’ve sung the praises of HBO’s True Detective as the best show of the year. Then I saw “Fargo” on FX. Now it’s pretty close. Billy Bob Thornton is spectacular as a hired killer in this 10 episode series. This is a performance for the ages. Terrific television.
