Some thick people we know may give off the impression that they are using only 10% of their brains. It may be a long-time hoax and also the biggest controversy surrounding Luc Besson’s latest film, Lucy, but nevertheless, it serves as the main road map that drives the picture. Lucy, which hits Thai cinemas tomorrow, stars a strangely unprovocative Scarlett Johansson as the unapologetically invincible heroine.
Actress Scarlett Johansson in a scene from Lucy.
France’s globally acclaimed and most commercially successful director has always weaved an international feel into his films, and his latest is no different. In this sci-fi thriller, which Besson wrote and directed, an American party girl in Taiwan is unluckily used as a drug mule by the Korean mafia. When leakage of drugs into her bloodstream turns her into a superhuman, she flees to France in an attempt to save herself, with the help of an Arabian-looking cop.
Lucy follows a trend apparent in many of Besson’s works, which tend to feature strong females leads — Leon: The Professional (1994) starred a young Natalie Portman as a hitwoman-in-training; cult sci-fi classic The Fifth Element (1997) had Milla Jovovich as the quirky yet kick-ass Leeloo; La Femme Nikita (1990), was about a female assassin; The Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc (1999), again had Jovovich, this time as the iconic saint-in-the-making; and The Lady (2011), in which Michelle Yeoh portrayed Burmese political oppositionist Aung San Suu Kyi. Also like his previous work, Lucy is packed with high-octane visuals and candyfloss action, mixed with existentialism and philosophical messages.
Feminists may dance with glee at the fact that a strong and competent woman is the film's main character. It makes one wonder if Besson keeps a mindful eye on the archetype.
"That's what you think," he told Life in a phone interview. "To me, I am writing pieces about women and men the same way; I just try to do my best for women and best for men. Usually in cinema it's more about the men, so my works seem different. But the fact is I pay the exact same attention to men and women."
Director Luc Besson.
Asked why ScarJo was chosen for the role, he jokingly answers: "Because she is ugly and cheap." French sarcasm aside, Besson was quick to add that the amount of magnetic dedication she displayed was extremely pleasing to him. He had met with a couple of actresses, yet it was Johansson who snatched the role from the other big names on the table, including Angelina Jolie.
"It's never good to write a part for someone, because when you do that, you only write what they can play," he explained. "It's better to be surprised, so I never write for someone. After that I try to meet a couple of people. Scarlett was very aware of the subject and she was very interested. She started to ask a lot of questions about the part — she was serious about it, and that's what I liked."
Asian mystique sets the scene for the first part of the film — bright neon signs tower in the skies and seedy mafia gangs roam freely. It could be any Asian country — even Thailand, perhaps (where Besson spent five months filming The Lady). The director appreciates the nation's diversity, and the fact that he can "go from town to jungle in two hours" scores bonus points.
"You have the beach, the jungle, the forest, the town — you have everything! It's like a big set where I can do anything!"
Nevertheless, it is Taipei that acts as the shining venue in Lucy, mostly chosen for the Besson's personal memories of the city.
"I came here 20 years ago and I've always loved the ambience. I just loved the town and the people are very nice. I said to myself that I would love to do a film in Taipei, but I needed to find the right film. I've always envisioned the hotel [I stayed at] and some cities are very easy to film. Paris is photogenic, Taipei is photogenic, Chicago is photogenic, while New York and LA are not at all. I mean, I'm not going to do Joan Of Arc in Taipei, you know?"
As the synthetic drug CPH4 coerces Lucy to unlock more control over her brain throughout the movie, she becomes less sentimental and more robotic, burdened with the hyper-knowledge of everything buzzing around her. As to Lucy's newly attained abilities, Besson doesn't see them entirely as a curse.
"In the film, Lucy is saying it's not knowledge that brings chaos, it's the reverse. I think the more we know, the more we'll use our brain and the less we'll make war or be self-centric and selfish. I think if we're using our brains a little better, we'll be in better shape," he said.
Undeniably, there's a lot of dismissive gunplay in Lucy. Even after decades of creating films rich with violence, the 55-year-old director hasn't grown tired of it. There is no need to cleanse his palate — it's only natural that violence extends into his work.
"It's the violence in the news on TV at 8pm every night that I'm tired to see. [There is violence in my work] because it's our life you know? The world at 8pm on the news is violent every day of the year. If you aren't reflecting that in films one way or another, you're really trying to lie."
Over 30 years in the movie industry has left the seasoned director with far too many creations to have a specific favourite. Still, Lucy might take the top spot — at least for the moment.
"I love them all, but I think it's like kids," he said with a chuckle.
"You always have a little more for the last one because he's cute and a fresh newborn baby.
The only thing I can say is I always try to be better with every film. I think I know my job much better now, and I'm prouder of my directing now than before."
