It opens on a slovenly composed man walking the streets of New York City. In his own narration, he says that he's surprised that the man you are seeing is not a bum. He's a writer with a book contract and a severe case of writer's block currently living off of his girlfriend. One day he runs into his pill pushing ex-brother-in-law who gives him a mysterious pill he says will increase brain function, awakening new neurons and causing more of the brain to work. Soon, the writer has finished his novel in a few days, has cracked the stock market, and is about to become part of one of the biggest mergers in history. However, he begins to feel the side effects of the unapproved drug and quickly learns that others who have taken it are dying. He is also contending with a ruthless Russian gangster who himself has grown accustomed to the drug and the police who have implicated in the murder. Limitless, directed by Neil Burger, takes a fascinating idea and uses many stylish and creative ways to demonstrate how the protagonist's mind is working. The script is well written and Robert De Niro is great as a shrewd tycoon who brings the young writer in on the major deal. For everything the movie does right however, star Bradley Cooper unravels. Cooper is such an uninteresting presence and poor actor. He brings nothing to the role and his laconic approach detracts from the material. All the other pieces are in place, yet due to poor casting in the lead role, this one is chalked up as a disappointment.
