LIMITLESS (REVIEW)
Rated
M -110 mins
Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Abbie Cornish, Robert John Burke,
Anna Friel, Nina Hodoruk
Be happy without enhancements and
careful what you wish for, could be the mantra of this energetic drama starring
Bradley Cooper as the biggest loser to hit the big screen for a very long time.
Handsome
ladies man Cooper, probably best known for his recent hits 'The Hangover' and
'Valentines Day', plays Eddie, a conceited, would be novelist and outright obnoxious
underachiever. Suffering writers block and sporting an extremely bad haircut,
Eddie is dumped by his on / off again girlfriend in public at a restaurant. This
confrontation spirals Eddie into his own version of the gutter, trawling around
the streets feeling sorry for himself. Given an ultimatum and an offer he can't
refuse, Eddie discovers a mystery, largely untested drug that gives him heightened
brain activity including recalling information he's been exposed to his entire
life.
The pill also has the ability of creating body awareness
and experiencing senses that he's never felt before. However, these are not simple
steroids; there is a major 'catch'. The individual cannot stop taking when first
consumed or the body will deteriorate as fast as it has been ramped up. Cooper's
performance is so good, it's nauseating. Serenity in the cinema this is not! Snake-like
throughout, he demonstrates incredible intensified mannerisms switching between
the weak insecure drop out, to the know it all drug induced manic. When he talks,
he talks fast. Whether it be about the stock market in which he has just cracked
or the second or third languages he can now speak, Bradley Cooper is mesmerizing.
The
tempo is equally accelerated from the cinematographer. Super fast close ups and
camera zooms frequent the film, especially during a certain euphoric nightclub
scene. As the oddly named character Carl Van Loon, legendary Robert DeNiro has
a very important role, dark and compelling, but the less you know the better the
surprise will be from this genius. Most of the female cast are underdeveloped,
especially Australian Abbie Cornish as Eddie's long suffering girlfriend. Her
conflicted emotions run high to disbelief with his transformation without much
resolution.
'Limitless' is top notch drama with few weaknesses.
Varying plot fluency is an issue, though I completely overlooked it due to how
entranced the film made me feel. Wild!
Shane A. Bassett
