Cautionary tale of Be-Careful-What-You-Wish-For /What IFsci-fi fable ; Cooper is dynamite!

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2011)

LIMITLESS (2011) ***1/2 Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Andrew Howard, Robert James Burke, Ned Eisenberg, Richard Bekins, Patricia Kalember. Cautionary tale of Be-Careful-What-You-Wish-For /What IFsci-fi fable about an on-the-outs author Eddie Morra (Cooper in a superb showcase of his acting chops) whose chronic writer's block is given the chance to break his funk when a chance encounter with his ex-brother-in-law gives him a miracle pill, allowing access to '100%' of his brain capacity  and then the fun begins. Trippy Philip K. Dickian logic and an altogether visually impressive genre flick with great camera work by Jo Willems (the first eye-opening oversaturated encounter once the pill 'kicks in' is truly sparkling) and Neil Burger's assured direction allows moments of real emotion (and much needed humor) within the dark undercurrent of Alan Glynn's novel "The Dark Fields" to emerge thanks to a crafty screenplay by vet Leslie Dixon. Also noteworthy is De Niro as a financial powerhouse whose interests in Cooper's freak-show wizardry with numbers proves he can still amaze with his acting (the beatdown speech he gives to his young 'pretender-to-the-throne' is a giddy delight). Take the trip down the rabbit hole  if you dare!