Almost Limitless

Rating: 7/10 (8 April 2011)

Limitless, in a nutshell, is the story of a struggling writer/slacker who stumbles upon a drug that causes him use his brain to its full thinking potential- and like any other drug, he has to deal with the consequences that come from over-use and the dangers of the black market.
As a whole, the best word to describe this movie would be unique- although the "super-human" concept has been used over and over again in the creative circuit, this story puts a new twist and spin on this idea that sparks a retrospective glance of the drug-fueled cultural revolution of the 60s- the idea that there is some kind of drug out there that unlocks your true potential.
Not only is the story quite unique, but the filming style is in a world of its own, with the bizarre fractals and endless zooming sequences making you feel that you are almost on a drug yourself.
The writing style and acting in this movie is superb- Bradley Cooper does a superb job narrating the story and acting the main part, and Robert DeNiro reprises his arguably overused (with good reason), but well-fitting role of a corporate elitist who doesn't give a damn. The story as a whole, however, is where Limitless seems to not work as a pun.
The story is somewhat slow to get started, and though excitement and wonder follow once things get started, the movie takes the direction of going through a few different story arcs that really seem as though they could have been written better. The ending, although one that ties all the loose-ends, fails to offer the satisfaction that the story arcs seem to be building towards throughout the movie. Whether or not this was intended as a further metaphoric example of drug culture is arguable at best, but the fact remains that I left the theater wanting something a little more.
All in all, Limitless is like a roller-coaster ride- it is fast, fun, exciting and unique, but this roller-coaster had potential to have been better-designed and executed. None-the-less, it was a great ride, and a it's a definite recommendation if you are looking for a good time.