(Long Island, N.Y.) Limitless is about a guy with no drive, focus, or ambition who takes a special non-FDA approved pill that makes him real, real smart. So smart that it gets him in lots of trouble. Okay, that’s it. See you next week when I review… Oh, wait, my review has to be longer than two sentences? Oh…okay.
Limitless stars Bradley Cooper (that really cool, smug dude from The Hangover and The A Team) as Eddie Morra, a loser writer who
lives in New York City. In addition to having been dumped by his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) for being a complete nebbish, he also has a big, juicy book deal that he’s about to screw up, mainly because he hasn’t written a single word since he signed the contract. Instead he spends his days doing productive things
like bouncing balls and pounding down booze at the local watering hole.
That all changes when Eddie bumps into Vernon Grant (Johnny Whitworth), drug dealer and his ex-brother-in-law. Vernon hears Eddie’s tale of woe and offers him a free sample of a new illegal drug called NZT-48; this small clear pill, Vern says, can allow a human being to tap into the full potential of their brainpower. Eddie, skeptical, takes the pill nonetheless, and soon is shocked to discover that he’s suddenly remembering…well, everything he’s ever seen, heard, or listened to. Realizing the potential of these pills, Eddie heads over to Vern’s apartment to score more, and, through some unexpected circumstances, ends up with a great big bag of the stuff. Time to party!
Eddie starts popping NZT-48s like Skittles, and before you know it, he’s written his novel in four days, gotten a Jenny Jones makeover, done some sit-ups, and become rich playing the stock market. Soon, he’s working for Carl Von Loon (Robert DeNiro), one of the biggest tycoons on Wall Street. Heck, he even manages to get Lindy to take him back. Everything seems pretty darn great for our protagonist…until he starts getting disturbing side effects from the pills, runs into trouble with a crazy Russian gangster, notices that a mysterious man is following him around wherever he goes, and discovers that other NZT-48 users are turning up either dead…or worse.
Limitless was a pretty good damn movie that actually reminded me of David Fincher’s Fight Club in terms of its sense of style. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Bradley Cooper display any real range in a film; usually he’s just playing cocky, funny, metro-sexual dudes. But seeing his transformation from go-nowhere slob into…well, a cocky, funny, metro-sexual dude, was pretty interesting. But when weird things start happening to his character, Cooper does a good job of summoning the necessary
emotion content (sadness, panic, anger) to effectively draw you into his situation.
As for the rest of the cast, Robert DeNiro does okay in what amounts to a glorified cameo. Don’t get me wrong – the former master thespian is still phoning it in like he’s been doing in roles for years, but at least here he’s acting like he has a pulse for once. He actually gets rather devious near the end of the movie (in case you haven’t seen the trailer, he’s one of the bad guys…OR IS HE??), which was actually pretty cool. Abbie
Cornish isn’t given much to do here, although she does get one cool scene where she outwits a bad guy by popping one of Eddie’s pills. I did get a kick out of Andrew Howard, however, who plays a Russian mob guy who becomes a thorn in Eddie’s side as the movie goes on.
As for the movie itself, it’s flashy and stylish, flows well, is actually somewhat clever at times, and maintains a distinct and unique visual signature throughout its running time. Limitless does a fantastic job of getting you inside Eddie’s head and allowing you to see through his eyes as his brain changes and his consciousness expands. As far as what you see and what you hear, Limitless is trippy and surreal, but it does so not just to wow you, but to convey the madness that Eddie’s world is slowly descending into.
Limitless is a fairly original film that manages to be funny and interesting. It also features some solid acting and storytelling and a charismatic lead in Bradley Cooper, so I’d say that it’s a safe bet for your hard-earned dollars. Go check it out.
