GRADE: B+

While typically I am not the biggest fan of Bradley Cooper, nor is Barrett, we both left the screening of Limitless thoroughly pleased with his performance and with the film itself. Honestly, after the let down that was Battle: Los Angeles, this movie was my next most anticipated from March 2011.  A pill that makes a person able to access the full capacity of their brain? Count me in. Writing this review, consider me grateful one of the two films lived up to expectations.

Cooper plays a struggling writer (hmm, sounds familiar) named Eddie Morra who proclaims to be “writing” a book, yet has not even written one word of it. He runs into his ex-wife’s brother who offers him motivation in the form of a magical pill. After taking it, Eddie understands everything around him and sees the best solution to every foreseeable situation. His life is turned upside down as he completes his entire book in four days, begins working as a prodigy stock broker making ridiculous amounts of money instantly, and impresses every person he interacts with. His ability to say, do, and know all the right things attracts fine women, job offers, and elite social circles. But soon his memory lapses from time to time and sketchy looking people begin to follow him; do they want a piece of his secret medicine?

The first thing I really loved in Limitless was the way Eddie perceived the world once he was on the pill in contrast to his brain functioning at its normal capacity. Director Neil Burger employed very interesting camera work, visual effects, and lighting to convey Eddie seeing the world in a sharper perspective. He also used these techniques to dull the visuals when our protagonist was off the pill. Watching Eddie’s ability to learn, perceive, and interpret everything on the pill was truly fun to watch.

However, one camera technique in Limitless drove me to motion sickness. The camera cascaded through the New York Streets with blinding speed, flying through numerous cabs, crowds of people, and everything within the dense metropolitan area. It was like watching the Millennium Falcon go into light speed, but a little slower, and through the city landscape or through Eddie’s day to day activities. Every time it was used I was tempted to look away from the screen because it was overwhelming to the point of nausea. I get the point this tactic was trying to make, but it really was uncomfortable more than a rewarding storytelling technique.

The cast did a fine job in their roles helping to sell this story. It’s hard to go wrong when you have De Niro playing a confident greedy corporate tycoon questioning Eddie about his immediate rise to fame on Wall Street. The way Cooper and De Niro played off one another made every scene they had together dynamic. The female lead in this film, Abbie Cornish, added a different, less Utopian perspective to this seemingly righteous drug that manifests class, style, and intelligence in its subjects. Look for her in Sucker Punch which hits theaters April 25th.

Overall, Limitless intrigued me off the bat and keep me wanting more as it progressed. The way the plot was structured worked to invite the audience to hang around to see questions answered. It kept me wondering what was going to come next and to see how Eddie would work his way through this “new world.” The ending felt abrupt, but it worked to wrap it all up. The performances carry the well crafted screenplay, and the production team held up their end polishing Limitless into a gem amongst the gravel usually dropping in the early Spring movie season.

What Should You Do? Cooper fans should definitely get out and see this. As for everyone else, you most likely won’t feel cheated spending two hours with this film.