Review 324: Limitless

Limitless is a first rate, effective, skilful and efficient thriller... one has you on the edge of your seat from the first mention of its unique MacGuffin.

Based on the novel The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn, Edward "Eddie" Morra (Bradley Cooper) is an unsuccessful writer who's life is transformed by NZT, a top-secret new "smart drug" that allows the patient to access 100% of his/her's brain and become the perfect version of themselves. But when Eddie's enhanced abilities attract unwanted from the rich and powerful alike, he soon realises that they'll stop at nothing to uncover his secret.

The plot is terrific, It starts with a huge taste of what our lives would be like if we were on this drug. We all have little activities we want to do, various books we want to read, various sports we want to try out. But we can't seem to find the time or the energy to do them right? And there are other tasks which we put off because it's easier to postpone difficult tasks than to face them. However a drug like NZT can solve all your problems. In Eddie's case he finishes his book in four days, learns to play the piano in three days, he gets lucky at Poker using Maths, he learns foreign languages whilst jogging, he getting back in shape by going to the gym, he gets a slicker, new wardrobe, gets his hair combed, goes to all luxury, upper class pubs, restaurants and country clubs, it's quite astonishing.  

However the real meat of this film isn't just that it not only does it show the positive side of the drug, it also shows us the dark side, the consequences of using that drug. It basically takes the whole drug fantasy concept of "What if you discovered a pill and you were able to use 100% of your brain?" It flips this idea on its head and discussed what the downside of this drug, resulting in a well rounded story because you get both sides of the story. Interestingly the dark side gets the most attention than the fun side which also gives a moral message, similar Darren Aronosky's Requiem for a Dream.

Where Limitless falls apart is

Director Neil Burger's direction is sharp, the cinematography is hypnotic and terrific (when Eddie's thinking normally everything looks dim and grey. When Eddie's on NZT everything is bright, colourful and shiny). The visuals are impressive and stylish, the score by Paul Leonard-Morgan is superb, the make up is so authentic, the New York setting is stunning, the production design is fantastic (a neat array of fine restaurants, hotels and pubs in New York and Central Park), the costumes are cool, it's well paced, it's quite tense, the action scenes heart-pounding, exciting and gripping (the highlight of it is possibly the scene where Eddie's girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) is hurrying to get some NZT back to Eddie and she's is being pursued through Central Park by a henchman. To evade him, she takes one of the NZT pills...
Throughout the film, Eddie narrates several parts to update us on how he's progressing on NZT and what good it's doing him, these narrations are used to great effects in helping the audience understand what's going on as oppose to being expositional.

The acting is mostly strong, Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro are just fine in their roles.
When we first meet Eddie, he's down on his luck, he's suffering from Writer's block and unable to finish his book. However when starts using NZT he's on top of the world. He also has a cheeky presence about him, he's not so dumb and trendy that you could only imagine him taking drugs and nothing happening to him but not so serious that you could only imagine him being a successful business man.
Cooper’s ability to switch from a disheveled schlep to a sharp and confident author and stock broker.

He's a balance of both and Cooper portrays that really well.

Abbie Cornish is lovely as Lindy, Eddie's girlfriend, I think she loved Eddie in the beginning, but eventually she became frustrated from his lack of progression and financial dependence leaves, but she's soon drawn back to him when he begins to use NZT and she greatly admires him for all his achievements. But she gets a taste of NZT herself, she is cautious of he rekindled relationship.

Robert De Niro is also very strong as Carl Van Loon, the business tycoon who does deals with Eddie.
He trusts Eddie and sees potential in him, but his reckless antics make him suspicious and make him wonder if there is more to Eddie than meets the eye.
Sadly, De Niro's screentime is limited

Limitless is a terrific thriller, 4/5.

The Anonymous Critic.