Movie Review | Limitless

In Limitless Bradley Cooper portrays sad-sack writer Eddie Morra who through both miracle and circumstance stumbles upon a gift that every writer hopes to as they aim to complete their next project, clarity. 

This clarity and intelligence come in the form of an illicit pharmaceutical drug called NZT. Morra can now access everything on demand that the circuits of his brain have stored throughout his life. Suddenly Morra can reference everything he has ever seen or known then apply that knowledge to the situations and conundrums that face him. This kind of limitless access enables him to finish his novel in mere days, succeed in the stock market and learn foreign languages simply by immersing in them briefly. One can certainly understand how all of this could come in handy. 

Morra rises through the ranks of Wall Street at a meteoric pace after he decides that writing will not provide him with enough bankable income before his stash of NZT runs out. As with any drug abuse Morra begins to feel and see the consequences of his habit, leading to the final two scenes in which Limitless takes a bizarre turn that I am not exactly in favor of, nor prepared for, but this doesn’t ruin the film as a whole.   

The camera lens and its frenetic, intense close-ups of subjects as varied as a sizzling egg, dirty dishes, shuffling dry cleaning racks, and the neon drenched traffic and lights of Times Square offer a vital glimpse into the mind of our main subject as he starts to take notice of well, everything. 

Director Neil Burger does something very difficult with Limitless; he portrays moments in time that are unbelievable and makes the viewer believe. As a concept I found Limitless to be polished and succinct, a completely realized , deftly navigated film. In the wrong hands Limitless could have been trite and corny. 

Robert DeNiro and Abbie Cornish give adequate supporting performances but make no mistake, Limitless is Coopers vehicle and he takes the keys and leads us from beginning to end with great style and panache. 

Limitless -- 3 out of 5 stars

Limitless is rated PG-13 and is currently playing at  -- 24 Patriot Place, Foxboro, MA - (800) 315-4000  

Also playing nearby in: Sharon, North Attleboro, Braintree, and Hingham