Despite being based on the fallacy that humans only use 10% (or 2%, or whatever percentage) of their brain, Limitless still stumbles upon a few interesting truths while giving the audience a respectable and speedy thriller. Bradley Cooper has tooled about Hollywood for the last few years as a member of ensembles ranging from The A-Team to The Hangover’s “Wolfpack”, and with Limitless he gets to step into the spotlight and prove once and for all that he’s fully capable of leading a film without help. He succeeds and the end result is an entertaining ride which, although you might forget it minutes later, is a surprising amount of fun with a few twists and turns you won’t see coming.
Sitting in his dingy apartment, his hair pulled back unevenly in a sloppy ponytail and with a few days worth of sweat and grime evident on him, Eddie Morra (Cooper) is the stereotypical writer caricature whose concern for personal hygiene has eroded in the face of writer’s block-induced alcoholism. Salvation comes in the form of his former brother-in-law who introduces Eddie to a drug called NZT that unleashes every last remnant of the human potential and turns Eddie into the pinnacle of human ability. The meeting comes with a price though, as his brother-in-law is killed the next day leaving Eddie with a large stash of the drug and lots of time on his hands. After a few weeks, Eddie has become a multi-lingual genius in the middle of multi-billion dollar merger with two firms headed by Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro). As one half of Eddie’s life turns to gold, the other threatens to kill him with the original owners of the drug, a loan shark on the same miracle drug, and unanticipated side effects of the NZT posing hazards to his health.
The concept of maximized human potential is a dubious one as anyone who has stayed in touch with current events can tell you that our species is as capable of good as it is evil, and the film manages to reflect this although weakly. Contrasting Eddie against the loan shark (Andrew Howard), isn’t as black and white as it could be, which is in itself both an accomplishment and a problem. On one hand you have to commend a writer for not just going the route of “good vs. bad”, but in showing how the drug enables people to solve problems, but in a fashion that works with their character. For Eddie it’s self-improvement which results in profit, and for the shark it’s profit enhanced by a new appreciation for violence.
Once the side effects of NZT become known, the obvious question of “Should I stop” arises, but instead of just answering the question in a straightforward way, Limitless again approaches it as just another problem in need of solving, not a life or death decision. Unfortunately, for all of the right questions Limitless poses to precepts of right and wrong in the face of unlimited ability, it relies on as many clichéd answers as it does clever ones and seems to brush off some of the more difficult questions with fleeting nods to human nature.
Cooper stays at the center of all of the film’s events and, as always, proves a likeable character that audiences can cling to for equal parts comedy and drama. It’s just a shame then that this story about a man with incredible focus feels scatterbrained at times, throwing out story lines that really just eat up time and trip up the film’s otherwise rapid pace. The two true story lines of the film involve De Niro’s merger and the loan shark, but the script seems confused as to how to keep those plots moving quickly, so it adds in a few foot chases as a substitute.
Limitless relies on the visual element more than most dramas, and Director Neil Burger’s use of tinted lenses to portray Eddie’s life on and off the drug make for some interesting imagery. Beyond that, however, the film doesn’t make huge use of any visually impressive effects or incredible audio immersion, so the HD effect is negligible.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The pack comes with the film as a digital copy as well as a Blu-ray disc that features both the theatrical and the unrated extended version of the film. Two featurettes include: a piece on Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of poor schlub Eddie and new, super Eddie while also talking about the concept; and behind the scenes footage of various stunts and cast and crew reactions to the very quick nature of Burger's filming schedule. The alternate ending, that the back cover claims “changes everything”, really doesn’t change a thing, but rather just shows Eddie having a different level of control through dialogue only, but it’s still Cooper and De Niro walking to a car and De Niro driving off. Finally, Director Neil Burger’s audio commentary is a good listen, as the director has quite a bit to say about the film he’s made.
"Limitless" is on sale July 19, 2011 and is rated PG13. Drama, Thriller. Directed by Neil Burger. Written by Leslie Dixon (screenplay), Alan Glynn (novel). Starring Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro.
