Sans limites

I feel it needs to be said that this is a superhero movie. We've had a myriad of superhero movies in recent years, but only a handful (e.g. the first Iron Man) were films where it seemed to me cast and crew were not fast asleep but actually cared about what they were doing. This is definitely an example of that rare breed. It is one of those movies where you spend the entire length of the film NOT noticing that it is a superhero movie, and quite possibly this will not dawn on you even on the ride home, because the subject matter is handled seriously: the characters are 3d life-like people; the plot has life-like complexity; there is ambiguity and room for interpretation. Somebody cared. I had my doubts, going in, whether Bradley Cooper can pull this one off. He sure can. Other actors are also at the top of their game. (I don't feel I need to pick out De Niro in particular, here.)

So, the good: Original, creative writing. Original, creative, beautiful cinematography. Original, creative direction. Interesting throughout. Believable, except when it isn't trying to be. Good pacing. Well acted.

The bad: Some scenes stretch credulity. Most by just a little. The fore-last scene is over the top. I loved it. (My wife said: "They're trying to pull a Tarrantino. Right?" and they were.) I can't blame anyone who says this scene ruined the movie for him. It isn't believable. It isn't consistent with the rest. But it's definitely where the roller-coaster that is this movie is at its most extreme. By contrast, the last scene left me with a feeling of something missed. It's like the script saves the best for the sequel.

So, unfortunately, this movie doesn't have an ending that makes you forgive it for everything else. Quite on the contrary. It just happens to be so good that I was willing to forgive it its bad ending.

This movie doesn't exactly go deep with either the moral or thematic implications of super intelligence. Nor are the characters particularly well developed. But I was engaged from beginning to end with this taut and, best of all, original thriller. I've never seen anything quite like it. It proceeds in a generally credible and suspenseful way from its premise--a pill that allows you to use all of your brain.Of course, the notion that we're only using a small fraction of our brains is untrue, but I liked how the film uses this urban fib as a springboard for its engaging story.

There are one or two moments that strain credulity, (I'm thinking, particularly, of the one-eyed thug who can't seem to hit the broad side of a barn with his gun) but I think every good story has a few of those.

The camera tricks and visual effects used to externalize what's going on in the main character's head are also a lot of fun. Good performances by all the actors.

If you yearn for science fiction movies and thrillers that you can actually believe from moment to moment and haven't seen 10 times before, then I'd recommend this one.

LIMITLESS is a film that you want to see succeed - an idea with 'limitless' possibilities, a setting that involves Wall Street (part of our core issue of economic chaos), some interesting camera work, and a a script that likes to make puns. The problems with the film is that is underdeveloped: main characters are rather two dimensional, cameo characters are walk-on parts without much purpose, and the script, such as it is, relies on voice-over cop out instead of intelligent dialogue.

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper attempting to break away from his guy roles in road show movies) is a wannabe writer - a man who has been attempting to write a novel for years but has not achieved one word on a page. He lives off his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) who finally gives up on his mess of a life. Eddie moves into a filthy flat and he takes on the appearance of a street person until he encounters his ex-wife's (Anna Friel) brother Vernon (Johnny Whitworth) who gives Eddie a pill called NZT, a medication that is purportedly able to make the brain use 100% of its capacity (fragments of memory, encountered headlines, books slightly read etc all become immediately available to the 'patient'). Eddie, seeing his life going down the toilet, takes the pill and suddenly becomes multilingual, able to figure out number sequences at the gambling table, not only start but finish his novel, etc: in other words, a genius - for the 24 hour duration of the pill's effect. His changed life introduces him to, of course, the stock market where he makes it so big that he garners the attention of major player Carl Van Loon (Robert DeNiro) - along with the people involved with the now murdered Vernon who want the drug back: evil Gennady (Andrew Howard) and his thugs (Eddie Fernandez and Ray Siegle) a strange 'man in a tan coat' (Tomas Arana) et al. Eddie struggles through the transition, sells his novel, wins Lindy back, and some years later is running for New York Senator on his way to the Presidency of the United States. And that of course leads to the messy ending that began the film.

Based on the novel 'The Dark Fields' by Alan Glynn, the screenplay (full of holes perhaps due to the same writer's block as the main character's) is by Leslie Dixon and the film is directed by Neil Burger, a man with some creative ideas who concentrates on gimmicks more than plot and character development. And it does have some dazzling visual effects sequences, courtesy of Joe Willems, cinematographer and Connie Brink, Special Effects Coordinator. It is an obvious attempt to compete with the fast action films that make so much box office money, but it is flimsy and may be better off in the DVD category - a category in which it landed early for obvious reasons.

Grady Harp

A stylish movie with an interesting premise that delivers more than it fails.

Bradley Cooper, as "Eddie Mora," was good in the lead and actually all the characters in the film were interesting. That includes the villains were credibly menacing.

Anyone who has been hooked on any kind of pill can relate to this film. The pill in this story, however, is different from anything anyone's heard of....and intriguing. You can't help but wonder if you would be tempted to take it yourself.

Co-starring with Cooper and his magic pill is the style of the film. It's very stylish and looks great on Blu-Ray. If you're into visuals, this is a good movie to check out. The same goes for fans of suspense.

I found this very entertaining and a film I would watch again. Yeah, the ending is a little contrived but, overall, it's a fun movie to watch.

You're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, or at least that's what authors tell us. Well motion picture directors would want you to not judge their films by the trailers or posters. Limitless is one of the few recent films to deny the misconceptions from its efficient marketing.

It's sold as Bradley Cooper gets smart drug fix from Robert De Niro then must defeat him through a series of cat and mouse games. In actuality Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a struggling writer/slob who acquires a drug called NZT-48, a pill that allows him to recall everything from the briefest of encounters. In minutes he is transformed from a guy no one could believe has a book deal to a man no one can do without. Doors open, too many doors really. Eddie's problem solving solutions end up fanning the flames of questions around him, and before long it seems that everyone in the city is after him. The intricate dynamics that weave this trail of lies is the best since Match Point (2005).

Cooper's performance totally shocked me. He's able to go from panicked addict to conversationalist genius and back without losing the support of the audience. With no key player for Eddie to confide in or take along for the journey, the supporting performances are little more than plot points. Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro don't have nearly as much range to showcase in this screenplay. However with a little change, Anna Friel's one scene could have been expanded into something with more drama and likely give Limitless the emotional impact needed for some to take it seriously.

Enough cannot be said for how amazingly brisk and refreshing the production comes across. Nearly every scene has at least some artistic appeal. This is one of the more attractive films I've seen using the Red digital cameras and I have to give the colorist some praise for the warm palette used to show the influence of NZT-48. Thanks to the mind-altering plot, Limitless is one of the few movies where extravagant transitions make sense.

Limitless is indicative of a minor subgenre that sprang up around the dawn of the current millennium; I call this the genre of self-discovery. Examples of these films include Fight Club and The Beach and more examples can be found in Asian cinema (where I also believe Limitless drew inspiration for art direction). The primary goal of these metaphysical pictures is to delve into what makes us tick. Limitless asks the viewer to exam what's holding each of us back from being the perfect versions of ourselves, and by stories end this viewer certainly felt inspired.

I can see room to complain when it comes to the way Limitless approaches relationships. Remember, I'm seeing this as a specialty film about inner exploration and as such I'm allowing for some leeway in how director Neil Burger is able to keep the pace going while focusing almost exclusively on Eddie. Still, I would have appreciated one scene showing how his limitless knowledge afforded him relationship-handling tact.

Limitless has such a breathtaking pace that you aren't going to find the time needed to nitpick. Some of the action at movie's end is resolved with little plausibility, but it's too much fun to attack. At least the title of Limitless offers some truth in advertising.