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Limitless seems like an attempt to push Bradley Cooper out of his Romance/Comedy safe zone and into the role of future possible action star. He's built right for it too, sort of more likable Matthew McConaughey with his chiseled looks and piercing blue eyes. Limitless attempts to do for Cooper what The Bourne Identity did for Matt Damon; remake him from a pretty boy romantic lead into a gritty dark hero. It works too, for the most part. Limitless is a fun ride all the way through and it's visually striking to boot. It opens with a steady camera zooming through Manhattan, through streets and taxi cab windows, it sets a good tone for the rest of the film. The story centres around the myth that humans are only using a tiny portion of our brains at once. Cooper plays Edward Morra, a writer with a book contract but a terrible case of writers block. Within the first few minutes he's dumped by his girlfriend for lack of motivation in his life and runs into his ex brother-in-law, from a very brief marriage right after college. Vernon, the ex-brother-in-law is never given a last name because he's only there to introduce the main plot of the movie. He gives Morra a clear pill that he claims will give him the focus he needs to finish his book, along with his business card just in case. Being in a desperate state Morra takes the pill while being shouted at by his landlords wife for being behind on the rent. Within thirty seconds he's deducing everything around him and naturally, beds the wife and does her law school paper that she was stressing over. He then writes a massive chunk of the novel and falls asleep. The next morning he's lost his newfound mental abilities but he does have enough of a novel to hand in to his publisher along with a fantastically clean apartment, being that a side effect of the drug is OCD, apparently. He stops by Vernons apartment to see about getting some more, but this is where things go wrong. The plot unfolds around Morra using his stash of the drug to advance quickly through the world of high finance, attracting the attention of Robert De Niro, playing a sinister Warren Beatey-type of stock market broker, while avoiding sinister figures who are after every pill they can find and are killing everyone connected to it. Also, it turns out that the drug has serious side effects if you take it regularly but will also kill you if you stop. It's best if you don't think about the movie and just enjoy the story and stunning visual effects. There are plot holes big enough to throw Matthew McConaughey's ego through, but considering the movie is built upon a faulty premise, picking it apart defeats the purpose. It's just a fun thriller that gives you a couple hours of entertainment. It's well made, well acted and is paced about right. There is one scene where he licks blood off the floor (because it's laced with the drug) that will absolutely kill any romantic comedy hotness Mr Cooper possessed, but I don't think that's anything but a plus. It just means we might see him expand more into action oriented roles, and if Limitless is any indication, he might just be able to swing it. jojoinnit fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Mar 11, 2011 |
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Mar 11, 2011 06:57
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Loved this film. It gave me the same curious feeling as Gattaca, but with a little more sizzle, at the cost of being only a little less sci-fi highbrow. 4/5.
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Jun 3, 2012 05:37
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I was pleasantly surprised with this film, as the trailers didn't entice me at all but I ended up enjoying it immensely. The striking visuals and Coopers charisma really sell the story well, and my emotions during it mimicked Morra's, feeling the rush and relief when ever he was dosed up and the desperation when he was fighting to find more. The great visuals (even if there was a little too much teal and orange), combined with the make up and Coopers acting really amplified this. I found the ending surprising, and also refreshing that the film wasn't trying to hammer home a 'drugs are bad!' message. 5/5 simply because it was such a surprise dosage of great fun.
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Jul 10, 2012 05:06
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I got the distinct impression that the director really, really wished he was David Fincher. Story has some weak moments and a couple massive plotholes -- if you're such a super genius when you're on it, it has bad side effects, and your supply is running low, why not teach yourself chemistry and create a no-side effect alternative? -- but overall is decently entertaining, 3/5.
regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Jul 12, 2012 |
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Jul 12, 2012 01:01
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Filed this away in the 'generic action movie' category when I first heard about it, and caught it purely by accident a few weeks ago. A surprisingly good film. The biggest thing Limitless has going for it is some incredible cinematography. The colorful saturation effect when someone is high on NZT(reminds me of LSD), the hypnotizing 'infinite zoom' intro, and the collage scene of multiple Eddies talking to everyone at the party are definitely a treat for the eyes. The plot itself is tight, fast, and really sells Bradley Cooper as an action star. I had the unique opportunity to watch this next to two opiate addicts, and it made me look at a film a different way. During the first scene of Eddie getting high, one remarked "That's what pills are like the first time." with a nostalgic wistfulness in his voice. Later on, when Eddie is pleading to his girlfriend "I've got a plan, I just need to use it a little more and then I'll get clean..." the other user excused himself to my porch for a few minutes for a smoke. During the scene of Eddie withdrawing from NZT in Lindy's office, both of them wore disgust on their face and focused their attention on their phone. Hits home pretty hard, I suppose. My biggest problem with the film is definitely the ending. He wins? He just wins, and becomes Super President? It seems almost lazy, creating an omniscient protagonist and letting him have his unearned victory. It almost made me look at him as a villain in the final scene. Logical? Yes. Jarring? A little. I didn't dislike the twist, but it did leave a strange taste in my mouth. 4/5.
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Aug 23, 2012 17:04
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Not quite the typical action move I thought it would be. The story line was very good and Bradley Cooper did a wonderful job playing the main character, a struggling writer turned wall street genius. I think he fit very well, which is good because while there are some supporting characters, the movie focus quite a lot on him. I enjoyed this movie beginning to end and would recommend it to anyone who likes light action thriller type movies. After I finished the movie, I felt super motivated. 3.5-4/5
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Sep 21, 2012 08:13
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It's almost annoying this movie did so well. My hastily written 2am error-riddled review won't disappear. 
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Sep 21, 2012 13:46
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This movie was bad in the sense that it has a premise, and then things one would expect to happen happen until the credits roll at the end. It is one of the most predictable movies I have ever seen. 1/5
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Oct 10, 2012 21:01
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I really enjoyed this film and watched it again over the weekend. Cooper seems perfect for the role being a believable bum and then a perfect charismatic good looking financial wizard. The colour over saturation used to emphasize the drug was effective and pacing was nice too as the protagonist gradually gets more and more into trouble and has to resort to more of the drug to deal with the situations. Would of been 5/5 but I felt the ending was a little weak, this should not stop you checking this out on a rainy day. 4/5
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Oct 15, 2012 10:40
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It's a really stupid (rich white man)'s idea of what being really smart is. No-one tried to figure out how to make more, and all those white men sure do love money. e:In a film named 'limiteless', the biggest possible prize is PotUS? Really? How loving bland, from such a great start. petrol blue fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 04:18
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