Down on your luck, writers block, love life DOA?? Sounds like you need some NZT!! What's that? Read on to find out in Keeb's first review for Maximum Extreme!!
What
if you could take a pill that could make you smarter? That is the idea behind “Limitless”, starring
Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.
As I sit here acutely aware of the high number of red squiggly lines appearing underneath most of the words I am typing, I can't help but think that I could easily be lured into taking “NZT” to increase my brain power. I mean who hasn't fantasised about being much smarter than they are? “Limitless” is a fun way to vicariously experience being a genius via Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper). He's a cliched hippie creative dude who lives in a dump, is a struggling writer, wears ripped jeans and has straggly hair. Evidently not averse to taking the occasional illicit substance Eddie is introduced to a mysterious pill by an acquaintance which will make him super smart!
As I sit here acutely aware of the high number of red squiggly lines appearing underneath most of the words I am typing, I can't help but think that I could easily be lured into taking “NZT” to increase my brain power. I mean who hasn't fantasised about being much smarter than they are? “Limitless” is a fun way to vicariously experience being a genius via Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper). He's a cliched hippie creative dude who lives in a dump, is a struggling writer, wears ripped jeans and has straggly hair. Evidently not averse to taking the occasional illicit substance Eddie is introduced to a mysterious pill by an acquaintance which will make him super smart!
Non
stop madness ensues as we witness Eddie transform from your average borderline
smelly bum on the street to a suave sophisticated 'homme du monde'. You know the type of guy – the guy at the
party that can speak every language, the guy that always gets the girl, the guy
that can improvise sonnets and haikus. Basically just imagine a cross between
Stephen Hawking and James Bond and you've got Eddie Morra!
Although
of course it's fun to watch someone carry out deductions better than Sherlock
Holmes himself, the film quickly moves on and touches on many other ideas such
as side effects and withdrawal symptoms of NZT.
This, coupled with the fact that Eddie is being constantly chased
by fellow junkies and has a new found
interest in megalomania makes for a high octane and exhilarating
experience. It's non stop action with
twists and turns and highs and lows (get it?!) from the get go!
This
may also be the biggest down fall of “Limitless”. None of the avenues which the film could have
meandered down were fully explored. They
were just touched upon. For example the
side effects of NZT were a little lame and probably shouldn't have had any
screen time whatsoever and no serious ethical questions were raised either. Also, I doubt anyone who is a true genius*
would chase the almighty dollar as if it were the be all and end all of human
existence. However, the film can be
forgiven to a large extent for its shortcomings as it's clear from the
persistent tongue in cheek humour and MTV like cinematics that it's just meant
to be a fun, no-brainer type of movie.
The
cast all put in a solid performance.
Robert De Niro plays the part of a ruthless capitalist Don with charm
and ease whereas, Abbie Cornish does an earnest job of playing the girlfriend
that no one (including the audience) really cares about. Bradley Cooper steals the show though,
switching between homeless bum mode to super high cognitive function mode
convincingly.
All
in all “Limitless” is an action packed, quirky and sometimes brilliant movie
with an excellent cast. If you're in the
mood for a fun action thriller with a difference then give it a shot!
*fun
fact – did you know that 4% of CEO's and business leaders are psychopaths? I guess that's kind of the opposite of a
genius! :p!
4 flaming skulls.
4 flaming skulls.
Keeb
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