Not your average action thriller, Limitless surprised me with its plot twists and director Neil Burger's clever cinematography. The leading man, Bradley Cooper, however, is what brought the movie beyond the cliches of its genre and impressed me, especially since I have seen him as only a comical actor in works such as The Hangover and Wedding Crashers. Somehow Cooper found a way to stand up with co-star Robert De Niro and keep me on my toes.
Limitless revolves around Eddie Morra (Cooper), a struggling author with no concentration and an inability to get anything accomplished, both personally and professionally. This all changes when he runs into an old friend from his past who offers him a drug called NZT that allows the user to access full potential of his brainU. Eddie jumps at the chance to turn his life around and ends up writing most of his book in a night, learning to play piano and picking up different languages by ear. The pill comes with unexpected side effects that Morra can't escape, however, and he is thrown into a world of high stakes. Eventually he has to use his newfound potential to hold onto his new life.
Cooper's acting was superb. I expected him to be somewhat predictable, but still entertaining enough to keep up with the plot. Cooper ended up carrying the plot, however, deftly switching from a burnt-out loser to a snappy, intelligent stock broker while remaining a convincing and likeable character. Cooper retains that Hangover charm, but it jumps onto a whole new level as he takes on a more central role and takes on a character with more dimensions and more depth.
In addition to Cooper's strong performance, the cinematography dazzles as Eddie trips on NZT and whizzes through life. The camera flips and turns as Eddie experiences the nauseating side effects of NZT, and shots move dizzyingly fast as Morra lives it up as a hyperactive hotshot. Even when the plot or the script were in danger of leveling off, the cinematography kept me engaged in the rush of the action.
Although I was satisfied when I left the theater, I now recall moments when I felt the movie lacked attention to detail. So many questions were opened throughout the movie, and at the end I was left wondering how those messes were cleaned up. I enjoyed all of the twists that were introduced into the plot, but I wish a little more time had been put into following up on them and giving the audience some closure. Everything seems to wrap up a little too quickly and a little too well, and for such a complex plot, the movie ended on a somewhat simple note.
Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone with a free Saturday afternoon looking for a thrilling action movie. I loved all of the twists that were introduced into the plot, and I only wish that more time had been invested in wrapping up the loose ends. For all those movie critics out there who grow frustrated if everything doesn't add up, you might want to sit this one out.
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