Fairly good, and original...

Rating: 6/10 (7 March 2015)

LIMITLESS has the advantage of telling a fairly unusual story in a way that seems fresh and compelling, although there are serious problems with the narrative throughout. In essence it tells of an ordinary man - a struggling writer in New York - who comes into contact with an extraordinary drug that allows him to use 100% of his brain, rather than the 20% that the ordinary person supposedly uses.
It's a story of rags to riches with a sting in the tail: like all drugs, this one is incredibly addictive and boasts some serious withdrawal symptoms to boot. Still, I particularly enjoyed watching the central character engage with the financial market, and use his new-found skills to make himself an almost overnight success.
The story is enlivened by some cool special effects, particularly the endless zoom shot which whizzes through the streets and locales in a way which fizzes with energy (a shame then that it eventually becomes repetitive after it's used too much). The introduction of some Russian gangsters add some decent thriller aspects to the narrative, although certain sequences feel completely out of place (the subway fight, based around viewings of Bruce Lee flicks on TV, feels like something straight from the Thai martial arts flick CHOCOLATE). Bradley Cooper has never been a first choice for me as an actor, but he acquits himself pretty well here and De Niro is very good, as always.