Review
Limitless
Movie Review
Director | Neil Burger | |
Starring | Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth | |
Release | 18 MAR (US) 23 MAR (UK) Certificate 15 |
Rob
20th March 2011
You can approach Limitless in one of two ways. Treat it like a psychological, drug-fuelled thriller, or be immature and look at it as the most sensible, subdued superhero film going. No surprises for guessing how I chose to take it...
Struggling with a bad case of writer's block, unable to get his novel off the ground, our (super) hero Eddie takes an experimental drug, enabling him to unlock the 80% of his brain that's usually out of bounds. Quickly, he becomes cultured, clever, and worldly with a new lease of life - the perfect version of himself. But it's not long until the drug takes control, people start talking and Eddie finds himself pursued by various dodgy types.
Shot and edited as if it was a Danny Boyle film with head-spinning, disorientating effects, and boasting Sorkin-esque sharp, snappy dialogue, this is a very cool, vibrant and fast-paced movie with an emphatic soundtrack and fancy camerawork.
The film's narration - told from Eddie's point of view - is a potentially interesting narrative device, but it quickly begins to sound like a DVD commentary, with Eddie patronisingly pointing out the obvious, just in case we're a bit lost. "The pocket was empty," says Eddie, looking into an empty pocket. Thanks for that, boss.
Limitless just about gets away with its first-person storytelling thanks to the charismatic Bradley Cooper. Carrying the film with ease, he never once comes across the arrogant arsehole. He's always likable, even relatable - he's an everyman, and when you're supposed to be the cleverest guy in the room, that's no easy task. Moreso when you consider Shia LaBeouf just missed out on the role.
Abbie Cornish, however, is wasted as the love interest. n fact, she's kind of a bitch. She dumps Eddie when he's struggling with his book but is quick to jump back in his bed when he's successful, has money in the bank and fine suits in his closet. It says a lot when Anna Friel's three-minute cameo is more memorable than Cornish's entire role. Robert De Niro comes across more as a suspicious father than a high-flying stock broker.
Despite an abrupt ending, which leave a couple of plot holes wide open, Limitless is still a slick movie that's one hell of a good trip. If you're going to see any film this weekend where a child in ice skates is used as a weapon, make sure it's this one.
Support Us
Follow Us
Recent Highlights
-
Review: Jackass Forever is a healing balm for our bee-stung ballsack world
Movie Review
-
Review: Black Widow adds shades of grey to the most interesting Avenger
Movie Review
-
Review: Fast & Furious 9 is a bloodless blockbuster Scalextric
Movie Review
-
Review: Wonder Woman 1984 is here to remind you about idiot nonsense cinema
Movie Review
-
Review: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm arrives on time, but is it too little, or too much?
Movie Review
Advertisement
And The Rest
-
Review: The Creator is high-end, low-tech sci-fi with middling ambitions
Movie Review
-
Review: The Devil All The Time explores the root of good ol' American evil
Movie Review
-
Review: I'm Thinking Of Ending Things is Kaufman at his most alienating
Movie Review
-
Review: The Babysitter: Killer Queen is a sequel that's stuck in the past
Movie Review
-
Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon is more than a silly nammm peanut butter
Movie Review
-
Face The Music: The Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack is most outstanding
Movie Feature
-
Review: Tenet once again shows that Christopher Nolan is ahead of his time
Movie Review
-
Review: Project Power hits the right beats but offers nothing new
Movie Review
-
Marvel's Cine-CHAT-ic Universe: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Movie Feature
-
Review: Host is a techno-horror that dials up the scares
Movie Review