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Style Magazine

Film Review: Limitless

Mar 20, 2011 01:59AM ● By Wendy Sipple

Limitless is an expertly crafted action thriller that captivated me from start to finish. I know it’s still early in the year, but I can safely say Limitless will be one of my favorite movies of the year.

The premise is simple but intriguing, what if you had the ability to unlock the full potential of your mind? That is what Eddie Morra (played by Bradley Cooper) is presented with when his drug dealing ex-brother-in-law hands him a pill to help him with his failing life. Feeling that he has nothing to lose Eddie tries the pill and finds it works beyond his wildest imagination. Now armed with what he describes as “Limitless” capabilities to learn and use knowledge, Eddie quickly finds he is effortlessly able to navigate up the social-economic ladder. But the pill comes with side effects, as do most drugs, which threaten to not only derail his success but end his life.

Every aspect of Limitless is interesting and creative. The director, Neil Burger, makes bold choices in camera angles and lightening that really draw the audience into the world of the lead character. The story follows a logical build up of its plot without holes or requiring the audience to take a giant leap of faith of plausibility. The casting was spot on, particularly Robert De Niro, who plays a heartless business tycoon. De Niro is at his very best in his supporting role. Bradley Cooper has a breakout performance as he capably shifts from your average uninspired burnout writer, to a man who has the world in the palm of his hand, to a drug-addicted addict suffering from paranoia. It’s a tough role, and Cooper makes it seem effortless.

The entire concept is thought provoking, and Limitless treats its concept well. The movie kept me guessing what may happen next the whole way through, and the twists at its conclusion are great. There is really nothing not to like in this movie, and I give it my highest recommendation. Limitless is the best movie of the year to date.

FILMS LIKE LIMITLESS: Fight Club, Memento and Falling Down


Justin Buettner is Style's resident movie dude! How did he get this role? Well, he graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Arts in film Production and a duel minor in Animation and Business with an emphasis in the entertainment field. He later went on to work on several independent films in various key roles including writer and later worked in the special effects field as a motion capture artist. He has since relocated to the Sacramento area with his family and continues writing for small independent films in addition to his movie reviews for Style Magazine.