Synopsis
Eddie Morra (Cooper), a burnt-out writer, discovers a top-secret pill that unlocks 100% of his brain’s capacity. He instantly acquires mind-bending talents and mesmerizing visions that bring him big money, beautiful women and limitless success. But his dream life soon becomes a waking nightmare, as the drug’s brutal side effects take their toll and Eddie finds himself entangled with a cunning Wall Street power broker (De Niro) who wants everything Eddie has…and more.
While the trailer of Limitless paints an incredibly different picture than the end result, the ride from point A to point B was pretty fun. Director Neil Burger and writer Leslie Dixon do a superb job with fully creating Bradley Cooper’s Eddie Morra into a three-dimensional character. For movies like this that run on a gimmick, such as a drug that makes you a better person, filmmakers don’t tend to develop their main character very well. Limitless is different and the first quarter of the film is Cooper’s Morra getting constructed, deconstructed and built again. That is what makes this film fun to watch. Sure it’s predictable that you’re going to see this man rise from his ashes to be someone, and it’s also predictable that there is going to be some great fall in the middle (basic rollercoaster storytelling), but the ride is still fun to be on. Again, this has to do with knowing his character so well, and that’s credit given completely to director and writer.
With that said, the story isn’t perfect. There were times in the film where it was on even ground; you could follow it without a hitch and you knew where it was going. There were other times where the story seemed to take a detour. For example, when Eddie runs into his ex’s brother on the street (just out of nowhere) that’s when he is introduced to the small drug. Shortly afterwards, his brother in-law is found dead and Eddie is a suspect in his murder. That plot point was merely a vessel to introduce the drug, as it becomes worthless later on. It’s an empty, cop out way of getting ‘the’ gimmick into the film. I do wish they would have done a better job of connecting that point, but they don’t. This is a big flaw in the story and one that could have been corrected with a bit more patience and thought.
The other complaint I have about the story is the usage of Robert De Niro’s Carl Van Loon. I can’t give anything away about him, but you’ll understand when you see the film.
Overall, though, Burger and Dixon did a great job in creating a solid story.
As for the acting, Bradley Cooper showed that he could handle the lead role very well. Cooper’s Eddie Morra is a great character to watch as he goes from being a no one to a someone; it’s kind of like watching an 80s montage in any 80s underdog film. His desperate transformation from an everyday loser can be completely credited to Bradley Cooper’s willingness to play the down and out guy. One of the things that made Brad Pitt bloom into a very diverse actor was he wasn’t afraid to play dirty with films like Seven and Fight Club; Cooper takes that same route, but doesn’t necessarily stay dirty the entire time. Regardless, he’s fun to watch onscreen and he sells himself well to the audience.
Shifting gears, the Blu-ray portion of the film was outstanding. Limitless provides a wide range of locations to show off. You get a lot of New York City, which isn’t very exotic, and you get some great overseas shots that show what Blu-ray can do. There was absolutely no color banding and even during the special effects portion of the film (Cooper looking down from his penthouse suite or during long camera shots (you’ll know which one I’m referring to)) you’ll find little to no indication that things have been added or green/blue screened. It’s a real credit to 20th Century Fox with this transfer and a credit to the filmmakers for shooting it so well. I was really impressed with how detailed and pretty the picture was in the film, with little to no grain involved in the movie.
As for the features, here’s what you’re looking at:
● A Man Without Limits
● Taking it to the Limit: The Making of LIMITLESS
● Alternate Ending
● Unrated Extended Cut
I like the fact that you get an alternate ending, and I very much appreciate the unrated version of the film (kind of grotesque in places). The featurettes are darn good, as they give you a bit more insight from cast and crew. I do very much like Neil Burger’s audio commentary for this one as well. There’s good stuff here, not a ton of features, but nonetheless good.
