Limitless

"Limitless" is a film in which visual swagger is a must for the story to work. Much of its plot is centred on the mind of a man who can see everything, whose brainpower is running on full-speed, whose cranium is given a sudden jolt; but how can the inner workings of a person's head supply 90-plus minutes of solid entertainment? Thus, this kind of premise needs a hefty amount of visual flair to keep its ticker ticking and its legs pumping. Luckily, director Neil Burger ("The Lucky Ones") has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Based on the 2001 novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn, this is a story of a socially awkward slob who becomes a charismatic intellect through the power of a magical tablet -- one is instantly reminded of Jerry Lewis' "The Nutty Professor" of 1963. The slob is Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper, "The A-Team"), a New York writer with a questionable hairstyle and a novel of which a single word is yet to be formulated.

Not only does he have writer's block, he has just been dumped by his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish, "Somersault") for being a bit of a slouch. I'm assuming his hairstyle was a part of this too. On the same morning, he bumps into his drug-dealing ex-brother-in-law Vernon (Johnny Whitworth, "Gamer"), who offers Eddie a sample of a new drug called NZT. FDA-approved, he says.

Eddie pops the clear pill in his mouth, swings it down the hatch, and his full brain capacity is suddenly unleashed. Memories flourish back to him a mile a second, he can think his way out of tight situations, he is more eloquently spoken, he can predict things that are going to happen through effortless surveillance, and he has the ability to go to a salon and give his greasy mop a snip and a chop.

With his mind clear as crystal, he finishes his novel in four days, plays the stock market to much success, and becomes involved in the financial market, making a big name for himself, as well as a few million in the bank. All looks good and splendid for the New York druggie -- only problem is, the pills start to have some rather unwanted side-effects.

Eddie begins to completely lose track of time, his mind skipping several hours of the day. He has to keep moving or he becomes restless. He garners some unwanted attention from a madman stalker. When he stops using the drug he becomes nauseous and exhausted. Upon phoning his ex-brother-in-law's other clients, he discovers all of them are either dead or sick.

The premise of "Limitless" is incredibly promising, albeit not particularly ground-breaking, and I must say that it's a relief for a film to utilise its potential so effectively. Director Neil Burger and writer Leslie Dixon ("Hairspray") keep the audience on their toes with this real-world techno-thriller without resorting to constant chase scenes -- they've gone down the route of only needing a compelling protagonist.

Pretty boy Cooper is in his first leading role here, having his work cut out for him as both a deadbeat loser and a suave genius hunk. He tackles both with a keen glamour, maintaining control of the dreary, real-life Eddie and the other Eddie, the result of obsessive recreation. It's with much grace that the "The Hangover" actor proves he's much more than just an eye-tease, leading the film with very little fault.

"Limitless" plays host to a character who intrigues. We empathise with this everyday citizen who becomes a king, this underdog who becomes a god. The film could have easily faltered with an unlikable man who is undeservedly bestowed the mental abilities of Albert Einstein, spending his millions and overall being a greedy sod -- instead, the combination of Cooper's performance and Dixon's script makes for an enchanting protagonist.

Burger's visual direction illustrates Eddie's rapidly increasing mentality. When the character first takes his new medication we watch his mind recollect seemingly insignificant memories from years ago mid-conversation. We watch as his vision becomes stretched out, as his surroundings become surreal. We speed down streets in extended tracking shots as Eddie loses his sense of time and finds himself in another part of NYC. We watch as his mind alters and the world around him becomes a feast of scrumptious information.

We are given the sense that we are experiencing this movie with him, seeing it through his eyes; and not just because he is the narrator. As he toys with his advanced intellectual capabilities, we are toying along with him. As he loses his cool due to a lack of his secretive special stuff, we sympathise. And when his high-security condo is broken into with a chainsaw, we soil our pants.

"Limitless" is not necessarily limitless itself -- its premise does feel stretched out as a feature-length storyline. And while the ending is lacklustre, it is nonetheless a thrilling 105 minutes of escapist entertainment. Cooper is dashing, Burger is creative, Dixon is smart, and "Limitless" is refreshing. Just say yes.

8/10