Skip to main content

Review: Limitless


Post-modern consumers are all about the quick-fix: lose weight instantly, bulk up immediately, six hours of energy drinks available in the time it takes to drink a shot. Life is moving at a much faster pace now and we need supplements that will aid that. There is no time left for those who can't keep up. Which brings us to the central character of Limitless, Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper). His girlfriend, Lindy, is moving up in the world and Eddie's life is stuck in stasis as of the moment. She loves him, but he has to make drastic changes though they are slow to come. The novel that has languished unfinished on his laptop sees no signs of being completed. Eddie is watching his future run out.

A chance encounter with his former brother-in-law leaves Eddie an opportunity to change everything. A tiny pill called NZT has provided him with everything he needs. Initially, Eddie is hesitant, his brother-in-law was always a screw-up how could that have changed? There is only one way to find out and down the hatch it goes.

Soon, Eddie finds out NZT can not only make you smarter, but a more perfect being. The novel that had plagued him for months is finished in a matter of hours. Problems are solved without delay, philosophies dissected easily, maneuvering the treacherous stock market is now like child's play. Eddie Morra has everyone's attention now, he's hailed as the next modern-day Michelangelo, even mega-tycoon Carl Van Loon (Robert DeNiro) has taken an interest.

By the time Limitless builds up the benign problem Eddie encounters into a dramatic conflict, the audience questions why small things weren't solved by the world's smartest man. Remember to pay the loan shark, keep your supply of pills flowing, don't lose face in front of Van Loon. These things are easy enough to remember even for those of us who aren't geniuses.

Neil Burger conveys what the world may look like to an accelerated being and he does so very well. When Eddie is at his highest the screen glows with a golden aura and when he isn't the dirt and grime of New York City is all too apparent.

Limitless does a lot of things well, but the film never builds upon the intriguing premise of "should you take a pill that makes you smarter?" Bradley Cooper is given a chance to excel outside of the bro-roles that he has played so often and he doesn't disappoint. His challenges with living and (perhaps) dying by NZT are a great deal of fun even if Limitless doesn't soar to the heights that Eddie does.

***/****

Popular posts from this blog

The Best of the Decade

Over the last ten years, the cinema has given us a great deal to be thankful for: a rebirth of the Batman franchise, a series of examinations of what it means to live in this particular decade, and a mass of character studies whether they be animated or popcorn thrillers. As much as I have enjoyed the offerings, a list must be culled together for the end of the year. Except this year is different, this year ten films must be selected from hundreds. Below are some of the best of the aughts. Enjoy! 10) There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson's magnum opus, a scathing look at extremism in America and the evils of greed and profiteering from religion. It also features the best performance of the decade with Daniel Day-Lewis as oil-man Daniel Plainview. 9)  Up A beautiful tale that entrances all ages,  Up managed to captivate children and tell a tale that adults cherish as well. 8) The Dark Knight Maybe just a comic book film, but it is the best comic book film

Paprika vs. Inception

Months before Inception hit the theaters forums were alive with rumors that Christopher Nolan either accidentally or intentionally stole some details from another film, the Japanese anime Paprika. The biggest point of comparison for some bloggers and forum runners was the fact that both of the films featured a device that allowed a person, or people, to travel into another’s dreams and delve into their subconscious. Minor points of comparison include scenes in Paprika where the character Paprika breaks through a mirrored wall by holding her hand to it, as well as a scene where a police detective falls his way down a hallway. Claims have been made that Inception abounds with imagery similar to or exactly like the anime movie, but with the recent release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, and with Paprika available for several years now, an examination of the two plots can be made more fully. Let us begin with the primary claim— Inception stole the idea of a dream

Armond White's Top Ten Films on Flickchart

Armond White is film criticism’s most famous contrarian. At one moment he writes  a review declaring  Toy Story 3  to be the most obscene excuse for toy commercials  he has ever watched, and then two weeks later types out  a glowing review of  Resident Evil: Afterlife . He is of split-mind for sure. But what does his Flickchart look like? Read the rest at Flickchart !