Very entertaining, very well made

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2011)

I'm glad to see this film climb back from a shallow 6.5 to its deserved vote.
Limitless(this is going to be a short review)is a nice story, well executed, but certainly not a film for everyone - the drug culture overtones are sure to ring differently according to each viewer's experiences. The story itself has a nice hook - average joe takes wonder drug, becomes exceptional in everything, then the plot develops, and until now the film is well above standard; Robert deNiro makes an appearance, god cinema until now - frankly, with this setup (plot allows for complex dialogue, great scenery, even fight scenes!) the rest of the film could have been complete crap and still the end result would have been enjoyable.
Anyway, after deNiro shows up, you know the film has to take a direction, and the one chosen by Limitless is far from the worse that the writer could have chosen - they could have gone with the tragic love gained through the drug, crime dealers showing up, or self destruction through greed, and a few more - but the film soldiers on and delivers good entertainment and some nice thrills too. DeNiro manages to not overshadow everyone, and throughout Bradley Cooper performs above the mark.
Limitless might not be your cup of tea; it might be too long, or not fantastic enough, or simply boring. But for many this will be one of the best -themed films they will see, blowing out of the water Fear and Loathing, Scanner Darkly, Naked Lunch, and the rest.
My vote 8/10,
feel free to add or subtract a couple points based on your personal inclinations.