
The Second Bank of the United States: Central Banker in an Era of Nation-Building, 1816-1836
Book
The year 2016 marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Second Bank of the United States...

Dopesick : Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America
Book
In this masterful work, Beth Macy takes us into the epicenter of America’s twenty-plus year...

Wise Trees
Diane Cook, Len Jenshel and Verlyn Klinkenborg
Book
Leading landscape photographers Diane Cook and Len Jenshel present Wise Trees--a stunning...

Slums: How Informal Real Estate Markets Work
Eugenie Ladner Birch, Susan M. Wachter and Shahana Chattaraj
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Large numbers of people in urbanizing regions in the developing world live and work in unplanned...

Sake: The History, Personal Stories and Craft of Japan's Artisanal Breweries
Hayato Hishinuma, James Lang, Jason Lang and Elliot Faber
Book
Sake: The History, Personal Stories and Craft of Japan's Artisanal Breweries is a compendium of the...

The Photographer's Ephemeris
Photo & Video and Navigation
App
"Head and shoulders above the crowd is The Photographer’s Ephemeris. Odd name, great app." -...

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Lucy (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, comes out this Friday and is Besson’s (Fifth Element, The Professional) most recent stab at something a little bit different.
The film opens with Johansson’s character, Lucy, having an argument with her boyfriend about dropping off a case with unknown contents. After a lot of arguing (and having it handcuffed to her), Lucy is forced into going inside to make the delivery.
As she does, the director takes us on an interesting visual representation of her feelings using scenes similar to what most people recognize from National Geographic, complete with a cheetah hunting a gazelle. The scenes are punctuated by her cheetah-print jacket.
As the story continues, an Asian drug lord uses her as a mule for the substance inside the case. The bag breaks and the chemical starts changing Lucy, evolving her into something… different.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen cinematography of this unique nature, where scenes were spliced in to express the character’s feelings. It’s unusual for a serious film (but still often done in a humorous way). Besson has done a masterful job of integrating serious moments, compelling action, and humor in a Fifth-Element-style to make a fluid, dynamic film. That said, it can feel slightly awkward at times.
I found myself laughing at the humor and engaged by the action, but most of all I was confused as to what I was watching.
This film seems very much akin to an episode of Cosmos. It’s interlaced with a story and some action, but purposefully meant to make a statement about human evolution.
Overall, I’d say this is a film well worth seeing. The acting was great, the cinematography was fantastic, and the direction was beautifully done. The main reason I feel it’s worth spending your money to see on the big screen is because of the gorgeous special effects, which were integrated in a captivating manner.

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
Book
Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein is an astonishing journey through the mind, and secrets of...