A Black Umbrella

I stand outside the perimeter of the café area.

Swarms of readers, browsers,

self-proclaimed writers (myself included), barely published writers,

college students, socialites, Manhattanites, and double espresso drinkers

seated on the wooden benches and leather wrapped chairs.

I pretend to be looking at the books on the stand,

but consistently peek at the seating area

from my peripheral vision

hoping for a table to free up for myself and my best friend.

I see a couple by the door begin to stir.

They take their sweet time

packing their bags.

The woman puts her books and materials in her bag

paper by paper.

But I must give them patience.

After all, they had claim to the seats first

and it is still their seats until they officially leave

the close proximity of the area, which is stated by social conduct.

When they get up, they just take their bags

and walk out the door.

I glare as I walk towards the table

that is still littered with their porcelain teacups and coasters,

stirrers, wrappers, and napkins.

Last I checked, this café was only employed with cashiers and cooks,

no busboys.

I begrudgingly pick up their mess.

I toss the disposable products in the trash.

I set the porcelain cups and coasters into the plastic bin in the sink.

I sit down in my leather seat

as my friend takes her seat across from me on the bench.

We take out our laptops and books.

We whip out our wallets.

She goes first to order her pot of peppermint tea.

I go up to try an iced latte.

When I return, I take a deep sigh,

trying to forget those inconsiderate humans.

Then I spot, over my friend’s shoulder,

leaning against the steel window frame,

a tall black umbrella.

I smile.

Film Review: Lucy

Firstly, I must admit, this film was not my first choice of what I wanted to watch when I went to the theaters. I went with my friends and we chose Lucy by majority vote. I agreed without any objections because I was interested in a film that starred Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. A science fictional film about what could happen if one woman was able to use more of her brain than most humans was only slightly appealing to me. But once I walked out of the theater, I was so glad to have given this film a chance.

The plot of the film was interwoven very well. It was visually littered with amazing cross-cutting between scenes that were connected and served a purpose of explaining each other. Most of the information that the audience must know as a preset are presented through Freeman’s character, Professor Samuel Norman, as he lectures a college class on the evolution of the brain. His lectures allow the audience to understand what is going on with Lucy as she goes through her painful transformation. As Lucy gets access to more areas of her brain, she is taps into more knowledge and abilities. It makes her more “wise” in a sense. But the process is not all it’s cracked up to be because as she gains knowledge, she must give up emotions as the price. Her character really explores the theories of what makes people “human” and the limits of mankind’s quest for knowledge. The film starts off with mentions of “Lucy,” the world’s first known human ancestor. It later becomes significant when Lucy meets “Lucy” and everyone has a type of understanding of what passes between the two.

Lucy’s character makes us question whether we would prefer to be the old Lucy, who freaks out over the possibility of being killed, or the new Lucy, who has the world in the palm of her hands but is unable to truly experience life. Even when she kisses Captain Del Rio, it is not a romantic kiss, but more of a kiss to try to keep at least one vision of her former humanity within her sights. I give much props to Johansson for being able to act out so emotionally with desperation at the first part of the film, and then become a woman who unwaveringly wears a blank face for the rest of the film.

Choi Min Sik plays a wonderful antagonist as, Mr. Jang, the leader of a Korean drug ring positioned in Taiwan. Mr. Jang is the opposite of Lucy, where he already has all the power from the start of the film. But his power is more violent and he lets it get to his head to the point that he becomes egotistical and a bit careless. His egotism is exemplified by the fact that, as a drug lord who deals internationally, he doesn’t even bother to learn any language other than his native Korean. He simply trusts his translator, who isn’t even physically present in the film. By having a foreign antagonist, it shows a conflict that also has a political aspect to it, which builds up into a big shootout.

Visually, the film was amazing. The shots of nature slipped in between Professor Norman’s lecture gave a feel of the film being more natural and grounded to reality rather than it being a science fictional setting with completely new laws of science. The special effects graphics were very sharp, distinctive, and appealing to the audience, but only used when necessary. It did not distract the audience from the plot and acting. I really loved the scene when Lucy looks at a tree and we could see what she was seeing, which was the life force of the tree portrayed by electromagnetic threads connecting to each other.

I will not go into too many details about the final scenes to prevent spoilers. But this is certainly a film I recommend everyone to watch. Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman truly don’t pick bad films to act in, or at least not together anyways. It is exciting and visually stimulating with philosophical ideas presented that will keep you pondering even after you leave the theater.