Movie Review: Limitless

Limitless

2011

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish and Robert DeNiro

Screenplay by: Leslie Dixon Based on the Novel The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn

Directed by: Neil Burger

A couple of years back I read an article on HuffPo about Provigil.  Provigil is a drug for narcoleptic people to keep them from passing out at random moments.  Supposedly, it also cranks up the focus of the non-narcoleptics in the world and, according to this article, was used by pilots in the U.S. Air Force.  I became interested, because much like the Bradley Cooper writer character, I have been occasionally blocked and I thought that if I could get my hands on some of this Provigil I would solve my problems.  The writer of the HuffPo article had the same problem and did notice an improved ability to focus.  He could read for longer stretches as well as being less distracted while writing.  

I thought about asking one of my doctor friends to hook me up but in the end I decided that I needed to figure out a way to outwit my writer's block instead of drugging it.  Hence, the reason I write this blog.  

Limitless takes the real Provigil and turns it to eleven ... thousand.  Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Mora, a struggling writer who, after a chance encounter with his ex-brother in-law, gets access to a drug called NZT.  NZT is supposed to unlock the remaining 80% of your brain three minutes after you take it.  At first Eddie just uses it for writing.  He finishes his novel in four days.  He's also able to recall anything he's ever seen, read or heard.  Half-read articles, the spine of a book he'd seen in college brings back everything he's forgotten about each subject.  He learns how to play the piano in three days and after listening to a language for a little bit he is suddenly fluent.  The biggest part of his new-found powers relates to the stock market.  In a short period of time he is able to take a small amount of money and turn it into two million dollars.  After he does this it attracts the attention of Robert DeNiro's character, a Wall Street big shot, and Eddie becomes the whiz-kid who can see every angle of a deal.  

A lot more happens but I hate reviews that give you too much of the plot so I'm going to stop there.  

The movie is slickly directed by Neil Berger.  It cleverly follows Eddie's rise from the dump of his apartment to the big time and has enough visual panache to make even writing look interesting, always a challenge in movies.  The script is strong and I didn't notice any major plot holes, which is shocking because it gets a little crazy.  

I'm a fan of Bradley Cooper from his days playing Will Tippon on Alias, a show that was for a time, brilliant.  He does a good job as Eddie Mora and he is on his way to being a action movie leading man, along with the female heartthrob.  I think Abbie Cornish is Australian.  I could be wrong but it seems that American Cinema is being taken over by the Aussies.  Before Limitless I saw a trailer for Hanna and I think everyone in that fucking movie was Australian.  And it's not like they're in there as shrimp-on-the-barbie caricatures, which I whole-heartedly endorse, but they're using their "learned" American accents to steal jobs from America.  By the way, I love Australia and have been there a number of times.  Robert DeNiro was fine.  He's one of our greatest actors but I usually take a breath before seeing one of his films.  Can anyone say Analyze That or Meet the Fockers? Here he is good in a part that, while important, is a bit one-dimensional, but that says more about the story than Mr. DeNiro.  He actually takes it up a notch.   

On the whole I was entertained by the film.  While not blown away, I found it to be an entertaining night at the movies.  

I give Limitless a solid B.

Les

Here is the trailer: