I love everything I see from 'Lucy'. Here's another clip that works better than I expected.

Scarlett Johansson drives a car for the first time in this clip from 'Lucy'. Gotta admit -- pretty good, considering how many car chases we see.

Comes off sort of dumb and kind of captivating while flirting with being compelling -- all at the same time. Reminds me of more pure stuff we used to see in the 60s and 70s, like Frankenheimer and Friedkin, who would take chances and not mind if there were rough edges because it came along with the energy, impact. Movies back then were more raw but had more power. 'Lucy' feels like that.

Should be fun.

Clip from 'Lucy' -- moves at a clip, crunch edited but still makes perfect sense, a lot of fun. Can't wait.

High Gloss Eye Candy

'Lucy' will make a fun rental.

'Lucy' Poster

'Lucy' continues to look good. Of course, marketing for Luc Besson's movies is always sharp, but the trailer and now this sheet are exceptional.

New Franchise

Yeah, we'll see a 'Lucy 2', there can be little doubt.

Somebody Actually Made A Real Movie

Yeah, that's right. I used 'actually' and 'real' in the same sentence.

Here's the best trailer you'll see all day.

Luc Likes His Women Tough

Besson has always made his female characters strong. 'La Femme Nikita' is the obvious example, set early in his career. I think this was something of a turning point for female characters. 'The Fifth Element' (his script) followed suit, as did 'Colombiana' (also written by).

Scarlett Johansson in 'Lucy' is certainly no exception -- Luc looks to be in form and Johansson is shaping up to be the next female action star, with perhaps more of an emotional intensity and psychological complexity than we've seen before. Looking forward.

'Under the Skin' Posters

This is looking like one of the most must-see movies of the year. Very whole lot extremely must-see.

I like these -- they're more like contemporary photography than movie posters -- but there are others.

Take My Money Clip From Jon Favreau's 'Chef'

Whaa? Jon Favreau has written, directed, and acted in a movie called 'Chef'? Shut up and take my money.

Here's the rundown:

A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.

That clicks. With (take a breath) Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Amy Sedaris, (take another breath) Oliver Platt, and Garry Shandling.

Effing wow.

Yes, Like Kubrick, But With More Forward Motion

People have mentioned that Jonathan Glazer's approach with 'Under the Skin' has a very Kubrickian vibe. That's exactly what I thought at :22 in this trailer when the close-up eye shot appears. The movie is filled with visual metaphor. The camera work is ultra-clean, pulled from a dream.

None of this seems superficial or done only for the sake of style judging from this synopsis of Michel Faber's novel (of the same title). Here's an excerpt:

SPOILERS

Isserley is an alien whose assignment on earth is to abduct male (preferably muscular and burly) hitchikers for their processing, in a subterranean area under a barn in Scotland where she and her fellow aliens are based, as farmed animals that are castrated, made mute by tongue-amputation and fattened up in pens like calves for their veal. After a few months, they are eventually slaughtered and butchered for meat and then transported back to Isserley's native land, which is portrayed as a dark, arid, unpleasant place where meat is a rare and expensive delicacy. 

Vaguely canine in her original form, Isserley has had to undergo mutilating surgery to pass as a human whose day job is to drive on the A9 of Scotland picking up unsuspecting men and then, after sometimes quite interesting conversations, paralyzing them by flicking a switch that activates twin jets that come up through the front passenger seat injecting an immediately acting curare-like drug. Isserley then transports them back to the farm. 

Pretty deep. I can't imagine the movie doing that plot justice but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Flippy Trailers, But Intriguing Poster

I haven't gotten into trailers for 'Under the Skin'. There's nothing in the footage that really gains traction and a lot of the time those trippy storylines get bogged down -- too many coincidences, too much stuff not explained well, ninety minutes of wooden delivery of dialogue and actors whose eyes convey nothing (which seems de rigueur for farout spacy plots) -- I tend to drift watching such stuff.

This poster is nice, though. Has a sophistication, hints at some kind of cosmic story element. For whatever reason this graphic doesn't push Scarlett Johansson. You can hardly recognize her. Not sure what to make of that but somehow it seems like a positive thing. Not that the fact she's in it isn't a selling point, just that the studio/director (or whoever) wanted to showcase the story not the movie star -- which can't be bad considering the type of movie.

New 'Her' Trailer: Ridiculous Or Brilliant

Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema has shot a beautiful looking movie -- no doubt about it, this footage glows. Spike Jonze has elicited moving and nuanced performances. Joaquin Phoenix pours his heart out. And, yes, Scarlett Johansson's voice work is very good. Amy Adams, who I assume has a minor role, is nonetheless totally dialed in and carries her scene (shown in the trailer) beautifully. Rooney Mara grabs your attention with just a few supremely well sculpted lines.

So, gorgeous to look at, delightful performances, great concept, with a lot of traction intellectually. However, you have to buy into it. If you don't, it will not be watchable. If you do, it will transport you. I'm thinking a lot of people will buy into 'Her'.

Personally, though at first I laughed at the premise, I can't wait to see this movie. 'Her' looks like the kind of thing we (used to) go to the movie theater to watch.