Limitless (2011)

Relativity Media

What if you could take a pill that would unlock hidden potential in your brain? Bradley Cooper does just that in his new movie “Limitless.” He’s Eddie, a down and out writer living in a junkie apartment and on top of that, his long-term girlfriend just dumped him. He bumps into an old friend and that’s what gets the story rolling as he’s offered a new drug that’s not even on the market yet; he’s hooked and needs more after finishing his book in one night.

The film actually starts with a scene near the end of the movie and then works its way back around till we get to that scene, where Eddie is standing on a ledge of a building. I felt that once the movie had reached that point, which the flashbacks turned into the present, it was as if I was seeing the ending from a different movie. It really changed gears and the conclusion let me down a bit. However a weak ending is not enough to totally ruin this movie.

Bradley Cooper is such a fun actor to watch, especially in this movie as he actually becomes another person when he’s under the influence of the drug. He’s much more confident and smooth. The rest of the actors played their roles well enough, but I was personally watching this just for Cooper.

I also enjoyed how Limitless changed its style of filming; when Eddie was “on the drug” was different from when he was “off the drug.” Before taking the pill, everything looked grey and “washed out” and felt like it was filmed with a handheld camera. When Eddie’s on the drug the movie is brighter and even his eyes turned into a brighter shade of blue. The filmmakers really worked hard to give this movie its own style and it paid off. Despite the ending, I have a feeling this is one movie that will grow on me over time.