What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?

What if you could be your perfect self? That’s the question being posed in the new Sci-fi based thriller, Limitless. And if I was going off what I saw on screen, I’d be content with where and who I am right now. I don’t need a Russian mobster after me, I don’t want to have countless jobs that require an uncanny amount of work, and for God sake I don’t want some creepy guy with a knife who appears to be straight out of a Freddy Krueger picture lurking, chasing me around. Yes, that all happens in Limitless a film containing very bright, intelligent people doing very, very dumb things.

Bradley Cooper stars as Eddie Morra, a struggling and down on his luck writer who receives a magical pill (from his past brother and law) that lets you tap into 100% of your brain, as opposed to the mere 20% we typically use. With the help of this outstanding pill it appears Eddie is on the road to success. He takes care of his “bum” image, finishes his novel in four days, makes a quick fortune off the stock market, counts cards in poker games, picks up women in a flash, and wow’s everyone he comes into contact with. Now tell me, who wouldn’t want that?

But with unaccountable and insurmountable amount of success comes consequences, or at least attracts the attention of a few unscrupulous people. One of them is Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), a financial and economical guru who takes an interest in Eddie’s work. Not to mention a girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) who in the opening ten minutes leaves Eddie because of his lack of motivation, then eventually comes back once he’s made a bank full of money and is sporting a stylish haircut (no trust me, that’s not superficial). With everything in rapid flux, the unexpected is bound to occur. And it does but what Eddie doesn’t tell anyone is that he’s using this drug that can not only access 100 % of his brain but also trace back and use anything he’s ever seen, read, or heard and instantly organize it for his use.

Don’t they always say problems come in three? Well, that’s certainly the case for rising star Eddie Morra. The first is a Russian mobster who loaned Eddie $100,000 when he was in need of desperate income. Now the mobster wants some of those pills he accidentally tried. In short, he likes the feeling of being smart. His second issue is the fact that with the death of his former brother-in-law (the initial supplier) Eddie is running low on the pills. And lastly we have some indefinable side effects that may or may not have caused Eddie to murder a prostitute in a hotel room.

Those dilemmas are the exact problem with the picture. With this magical pill Eddie can figure out anything, be it some mathematical equation or a fight with some thugs on the street, he can handle it. Which is why we know he would been smart enough to start investing his time in finding a way to duplicate these pills, so that a supply would be limitless. We also know that Eddie would be able to take care of this idiotic and sluggish Russian mobster within seconds. There are more plot holes, like the fact that after you get hooked onto this pill, it kills you if you stop taking it. We are never told what’s actually in the drug and if the brother-in-law was ranting and raving about his product, you’d think he tried it, right? Thus he would die from this drug after a while, like everyone else. But he was fine, off the drug, and died of a brutal beating, by whom we are never told.

Perhaps I’m being too picky and not fleshing out the movie for what it is, pure entertainment. On that front, Limitless hits on all cylinders. Not for second is there a mundane moment, it always keeps your attention. That could be because of the hyper kinetic camerawork by director Neil Burger who’s past efforts included The Illusionist and The Lucky Ones. Not to mention the stylish, often beautiful cinematography that gives the film a surreal feel. The filmmakers did a nice job incorporating the color contrast with the drug. Every time Eddie takes it, the brightness goes up. Think the Wizard of Oz revelation, and you’ll understand. The performances, too, are very understated. Cooper is a charismatic and approachable leading man with plenty of charisma. But, we already knew that from his likable performances in The Hangover and Yes Man.

What shocked me the most was Robert De Niro, who for the exception of What Just Happened and Stone has been slumming along, almost content with starring in dreadful flicks. Here, De Niro is a hard-pressed and uptight businessman who is ready to merge his company with another. This much excess and prestige allows De Niro to deliver a riveting and powerful speech about finding your place in the world and how Cooper doesn’t have the experience to understand his opponent, his market, and his surroundings. It’s a solid piece of writing that is not too preachy and is delivered with perfection by De Niro; it almost hints that he may be going back to quality work.

Limitless asks the audience plenty of questions about being our “perfect” selves. Though, I don’t think swallowing some pill (NZT) that lets you access 100% of our brain is really the best way to unleash your full potential. Sure, we’re enhanced, but look at all the problems that come with it. Truth is, a perfect self is not obtainable, for the reason that it doesn’t exist. The film’s intriguing inquisitions and premise as well as the visually arresting cinematography are lifted by great leading performances.

Granted it it’s often contrived, contains one too many loopholes and its idiosyncrasies come in bunches, Limitless is a film that defines our generation of people who depend on quick, fast, and instant gratification. It is mildly thought provoking for the adults who enjoy sci-fi and just want to take a break after a long week at work. Still, you would think Burger and company could create a picture with an IQ above 45, right?

B-

You can get all my reviews at http://dukeandthemovies.com and follow me on twitter @DukeSensation

Limitless begins with Eddie Mora’s (Bradley Cooper) deciding if he should jump from his fortress-like penthouse. It is there, through an awkward voice-over, that he starts telling us how he gets to that point in his life. Eddie is a “writer,” which means he’s been trying to write a book but is unable to type one word. He runs into his ex-brother-in-law who gives him NZT, a drug that opens up one’s brain since we only supposedly use 10% of it. The drug does what it promises but with heavy consequences.

Limitless is aware of the nuances of its premise. Many of us are well-rounded people with different interests, the world is a big place to be discovered and we have potentials that most of us will probably not fulfill. Eddie is our gateway, accomplishing the new ambitions he discovers within himself. High on NZT, Eddie charms his landlord’s wife, orders food in Italian or Mandarin and talks to people in high-class bars about European imperial history, all of that without looking too pompous. Even then, he is the same lost boy despite his success.

My only problem with his ascent is his sudden change of career. Everything comes easy to him when he is on NZT including math, but I still can’t account for how a “writer” suddenly wants to become a stockbroker and even contemplates public office. Doesn’t passion engulf ability, even if the latter’s more useful than the former? But then again I wanted to be a scientist when I was eight and that’s not what I want to do now.

Eddie’s highs are accompanied with effective visual gimmicks. The opening credits show long zoom-ins from different nooks and crannies of New York City into fractals of the human brain. There are quick close-ups of the people Eddie talks to, from the law books in their purses to the wedding bands on their fingers. Mirrored warp shots bathed in sunlight are used to show Eddie or any NZT takers on focus. Green filters are used to show his state of mind mixed with alcohol, food deprivation and the city’s shady subways. The concept is taken a bit too far though when his ceiling tiles turn into letters and numbers.

Despite of the leaps in logic that come with Eddie’s high, the actors make it believable. Abbie Cornish plays Eddie’s on-and-off girlfriend. She leaves him because she is his “bank,” she comes back, she leaves him again because of what the drug does to both of them, she comes back again. The scenes when she leaves him are more effective than the ones when she’s with him, but the latter parts are written properly. She’s a human trophy that comes with Eddie’s achievements, although she has the film’s best, kick-ass scene.

I haven’t’ seen de Niro in a film since Stardust, but he mostly controls his speech and expressions as he plays Eddie’s mentor, Carl van Loon, bringing the role and the film some subtlety. His character doesn’t intimidate Eddie through violence but through shame. His character has worked hard for the financial power that Eddie wants.

Cooper is vulnerable, nihilistic, charming and funny in a film that’s aware of its B-film humour. I usually have contempt for business types but he’s sympathetic enough for me to forget that big aspect of his character. He’s probably one of the few actors in his generation who go on a tête-à-tête with Robert de Niro – and he survives and possibly even wins.

Let me end with a few casting notes. Marie Winberg is the uncredited model Caroline Winberg. She’s functional. Melissa, not pictured, is played by Broadway and TV star Anna Friel. Melissa is Eddie ex-wife who suddenly doesn’t want to show her face to him. But I promise you that she’s not just the bitter ex-wife that clichés are made of, even if this film has some.

B-

Notes: Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language, 105 minutes.