It’s not purely coincidence or good fortune that I enjoy most films I see: not being employed as a film reviewer, I only watch those movies which appeal to me in some fashion, and while I’ve chosen poorly at times, I generally don’t have major regrets.  Limitless is a moderately entertaining thriller which rather carefully avoids any sort of philosophical musing: Inception it’s not (heck, it’s not even The Adjustment Bureau).   The protagonist develops super-human mental powers—does he attempt to cure cancer, eradicate poverty, implement world peace?  Nope.  He sets out to make as much money as possible, parties hearty, sleeps with various women, and has some vague, long-term plans for political power.  Hey, that’s just what I would do! (Except for the political power part)

In a nutshell, Limitless is about failed writer Eddie Morra—he’s got writer’s block, his apartment is a mess, his rent is past due, his girlfriend dumps him, his hair is greasy and unkempt.  What a loser!  Then, his ex-brother-in-law gives him a newly-developed super-secret pill that unlocks the hidden potential of the human mind.  This pharmaceutical magic bean turns Eddie into a sexy, smart, over-achiever who makes millions of dollars, buys a luxury condo and gets his girlfriend back.  Of course, there are a few minor side-effects, like the murder of the brother-in-law, an irate Russian mobster lurking about (not to mention a mystery man with a big knife who pops up unexpectedly), blinding headaches and blackouts and possibly a tendency to murder people…oh, if only that drug had been thoroughly tested and approved by the FDA, none of this would have happened!

I’m not necessarily decrying the lack of deep thinking in Limitless, even though it is a movie about thinking.  I could cavil about Eddie’s lack of common sense (for an alleged genius, he does a lot of dumb things, doesn’t plan ahead, forgets important stuff), his repeated failure to use his super-brain to get himself out of various tight spots, some plot holes in the script (what’s up with the case of the murdered model?) or inconsistencies in the premise (for instance: Eddie thrashes a gang of thugs by instantly recalling—then emulating—Bruce Lee films and instructional videos on self-defense, but merely knowing martial arts moves doesn’t mean your body can execute them effectively).  

I won’t complain that the film ignores all of the greater ramifications of super-intelligence, the possibilities, the moral implications, the responsibility and the burden of such power.   I won’t even point out (as other reviewers have done), the way the film repeats the fallacy that humans only “use” 20% of our brain power (frankly, I wasn’t that bothered by this: whatever the truth is, essentially Limitless is about a drug that makes you real smart, it falls into that “Clarke’s Law” realm where it could be magic for all I care).   So, I won’t say Limitless should have been called “Brainless,” or that it wasn’t cerebral enough for me…

Seriously, while I kept (mentally) asking Eddie “Wait, don’t you want to…” and “That’s not a good idea, why not…” and “If you’re so damn smart, why did you just…” Limitless still held my interest as a thriller, with Eddie’s stash of brain-pills as a MacGuffin.  There is some suspense, some action, a twist and turn or two in the story.  Director Neil Burger has even included a number of pleasingly-retro visual effects—for instance, as Eddie, under the influence of the drug, shrugs off his writer’s block and types his long-overdue book, a “rain” of letters and words cascades down the screen.  As far as I can tell, these effects aren’t used “ironically,” but rather in an old-fashioned, expressionistic manner, which is refreshing.

The other technical aspects of Limitless are fine.  As in The Adjustment Bureau, New York City seems like a lovely place full of great restaurants, stylish people, and swanky apartments (if you’re a yuppie with talent and a future, and/or a lot of money).  The performances are workmanlike, though really only Bradley Cooper (as Eddie), Robert DeNiro (as a captain of industry, or at least a captain of investment capital) and Andrew Howard (Russian gangster) have significant screen time.  Cooper, frankly, is saddled with a difficult role, since Eddie is a lazy, self-pitying loser who becomes a smug know-it-all, then a panicked wimp (and then a smug know-it-all again), and none of those are exactly admirable characterisations.   However, he does what he can with the part.  DeNiro is fine but not especially notable: at least he’s not slumming and hamming it up (Machete) or tarnishing his reputation for a paycheck (the “Fockers” films).  Andrew Howard is rather amusing as Gennady, a violent mobster who gets his hands on some of the smart-pills and relishes his enhanced intelligence, especially his new-found, Google-informed vocabulary.

I don’t mean to be so critical about Limitless, and I’ll even refrain from saying “park your brain at the door when you go to see this.”  It’s not pretentious, it’s not (too) insulting to one’s intelligence, the running time passes quickly, no one in the cast or crew embarasses themselves, and (thank goodness) it’s not in 3-D.  I’ve seen worse and I don’t regret spending 105 minutes of my life watching it.