Review of Limitless (2011) by William T — 22 May 2013

Imagine if there was a drug that could make you do anything you want. Now imagine if they made a movie about it. Limitless start Bradley Cooper and is a thoroughly entertaining. The story was very interesting but it was obvious the drug would be too good to be true. Characters paths were easily predicted but I was able to sit through the entire thing, which is always a plus.

Bradley Cooper has done a great job in launching his career past The Hangover. This isn't his best performance but he has natural charisma on screen and this was proof that he could handle a serious role. I will say this right now; if Limitless did not have Bradley Cooper then Silver linings Playbook would not have been as great as it was. I feel that Limitless was less of a movie but more of a test for Bradley Cooper, and in my opinion, he passed with flying colors.

Cooper plays a struggling writer looking for his big break. I expected his life to go from bad to worse before he got the pill but it didn't. The movie jumped right into it and got down to business. I liked that but there still left the questions with obvious answers. Once he has the drug it is obvious he needs a large supply and fast. The plot builds up the character who supplies the drug then he gets written off. Spoiler alert, he dies, its not a big deal and any idiot with half a brain could have figured it out. The last time we see him alive his apartment is a mess and he has a bump on his head. The movie foreshadows his death and Cooper inheriting his problems that come with the drug.

These problems are the Russian gangsters he gets in association with. It never made sense to me why he got involved with them, but he did and after he became a millionaire, got his girl back, had job after job opportunities, they give him a reality check and prove to be the "bad guys" in the movie. I wasn't a huge fan of the Russians in general, I feel like they were unnecessary. The focus on them was weird because I expected the movie to focus more on Robert De Niro. When he made his first appearance I paid extra attention because I expected the movie to get real and more intense. I was hoping it would be way more intense than camping, but it proved to be highly disappointing.

The big flaw with Limitless was the lack focus on a primary antagonist. There were the Russian and De Niro, but they were both on the same level. One should have been above the other in terms of deviance and importance. There were plot holes with these characters and the movie failed to impress. The story took a few turns I did not expect but a problem in the story was solved too easily. The pill almost killed Cooper but his solution isn't to not take it anymore, it's to take it on a lesser dosage and not abuse it. That made no sense to me. How does a big problem like that just disappear? This drug had a major impact and seemed so strong and t was became regulated within a few minutes. People died from this drug and Cooper learns how to control it with a snap of the fingers? I don't think so. That is lazy writing.

I don't know what I liked better, the wit of Bradley Cooper, or the way the camera works and how I felt when the drug was taking effect of Cooper. The visuals and the way the camera moves when the drug is being used made me feel like I was on it myself. The speeding thru time and sideways view on everything and the flashes were fantastic. It took me on a trip. On the other hand the pill made Cooper talk with such confidence and tenacity that only he can pull off as an actor.

Overall, Limitless was a movie that is incredibly difficult to pull off. Bradley Cooper was the right choice as the lead, a few mishaps in the writing and lack of other characters hurt the movie as a whole, but it was still enjoyable. Cooper was great and he built up chemistry with De Niro and that was another big part of the success of Silver Linings Playbook. I suggest you see this movie at least once. Don't jump from your couch do see it immediately. You can see it whenever and it will gave the same impact. No matter when you see it you will forget it within a week. Limitless gets the WillyT Recommendation.