Limitless, 2011

Limitless, 2011
Director: Neil Burger
Cast:Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro



Stage: Home theatre, late at night

Limitless in short:An action-thriller about a writer who takes an experimental drug that allows him to use 100 percent of his mind. As one man evolves into the perfect version of himself, forces more corrupt than he can imagine mark him for assassination. Out-of-work writer Eddie Morra's (Cooper) rejection by girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) confirms his belief that he has zero future. That all vanishes the day an old friend introduces Eddie to NZT, a designer pharmaceutical that makes him laser focused and more confident than any man alive. Now on an NZT-fueled odyssey, everything Eddie's read, heard or seen is instantly organized and available to him. As the former nobody rises to the top of the financial world, he draws the attention of business mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who sees this enhanced version of Eddie as the tool to make billions. But brutal side effects jeopardize his meteoric ascent. With a dwindling stash and hit men who will eliminate him to get the NZT...

Preps: Well, a notorious piece a while ago at the movies, but haven't had the chance to check it out. All I know is some kind of viagra, that is taken, but one for the brain :)

Reality: Wow, it begins with an added value. I definitely want to see loser becoming a victory man, Making my dream come true and answer what people yearn for centuries - how to stimulate your brain in order to make more out of all the data coming in every day.. There is supposed to be 5000-7000 various pieces of information stimulating your brains every day. You don't believe it? Of course you don't - because 99% of this you cannot remember. However, with this plastic miracle, you can.

Same as in the matrix, the main protagonist is put under a spell, after taking the drug. Obviously you cannot live without it and no, you cannot go back. What's the benefit? You get to remember everything you ever learned about, you get to maintain and upgrade existing knowledge within seconds.. you get to stimulate girls and make them laugh in an instant (obviously intelligence makes miracles).. etc. You get everything. Now, how about a downfall?
Like every drug, you cannot maintain the level without physical consequences.. therefore, you are screwed, when you run out of them. On the other hand, Cooper gets lucky and has a whole stack of these babies. One per day,.. and he's superman/Einstein/everything he ever wanted to be. Is his soul the same? This seems to be the main question, as he enters another time zone when taking the drug. And another timeframe in his mind. What kind of the person do you then meet, what are that person's feelings, ideas.. what is he when he isn't a god - good philosophical dilemmas hapenning, as we seek towards the end of this. Can he really finish in one year and make a huge amount of money in that time, to make him and his girlfriend rich and happy / least this is what he believes..
The run towards the end of the movie is too long and I get bored in the mean time. De Niro makes a good entrance and a good exit. But where is he in the mean time? Stage not that impressive, music is good enhancement of various scenes. And Cooper's act is quite good. Nevertheless, I think that in its third part, the piece loses its edge and its breath.


My personal rate: 5,5 (a superb idea, but poorly executed. I wish the director would re think the way he made his stage and his workflow..)


Limitless on IMDB