Luc Besson' Signature

Rating: 9/10 (10 October 2014)

I must admit I did not know who made this film as I began to watch but within a few minutes I flashed on Luc Besson. His signature and range reverberate strongly. Elements of The Messenger, Danny the Dog and integrated mix of his work resonates through Lucy which is a needed break from the Transporter series. Scarlet is rather excellent in this role and delivers her talent balanced on the precipice of Luc's direction. However the writing and delivery of the interaction with voice only Laura D'Arista as Lucy's mother was rich in expression and an artistic reach for Besson that appealed on a deeper emotional level. With the all the mental and intellectual gobbledygook the only real expressions of emotion is the aforementioned scene and a simple luscious lipped kiss. Lucy reveals Besson's ultimate woman who has been emerging since Le Femme through the 5th Element and Colombiana. Enjoying this film requires a stretch in several places but for me the level of disbelief is not entirely broken even in the rather unexplained parts such as scintillating to dust and the unexplained reassembly which is the least I could think of all the disconnects. I hope Luc Besson continues to explore these strong leads, sci-fi and strong, smart female characters.