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Created Apr 10, 2014 04:31PM PST • Edited Apr 10, 2014 04:31PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   As i sat down to begin my review for Limitless, I came to a dead heat. I didn’t know where to begin; what to say. Writers block. A temporary lapse in the ability to generate my thoughts into the way i know and wish. What’s this? NZT. On a whim, I take one. The effects were incredible. The receptors of the brain are again operating on full capacity. Clarity. And so we begin…

   Limitless is a star vehicle for Bradley Cooper, assuredly. Neil burger (who recently directed Divergent. what?) and operates at a lightning pace from start to finish. The movie has such a fluid style that individual scenes flow into each other. Possibly my favorite “surprise” of Spring 2011, Limitless is a glorious stream of consciousness poured into your eyes that leaves you either stunned from its derring-do or alienated but its creative and sometimes nonlinear style.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

   The hangover may have been the movie that people associate as the star-making performance of Bradley cooper. And it very well may be the moment that people took notice despite years of smaller and supporting roles. Silver linings playbook may be the massive hit that had people stand up and take notice of how he is more than the “good looking one” in the wolfpack and is a gifted performer. But watching Limitless is a true star making performance. He is ingrained into every frame fo the film and to be perfectly honest…any time hes not on screen the movie misses a step.

   The supporting cast are very good at what they do. Robert Deniro is the closest to a villain that the movie has and he is quite cunning and you genuinely feel the menace in his face and actions. Abbie Cornish has something of a slightly more thankless role but no less an important one, as she is the reminder that Eddie Mora is still a person. The cast is top notch in nearly every way, but this really is Cooper’s show and he doesn’t let you down for a moment of the runtime.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    Neil Burger deserves some serious kudos for his direction. At a breakneck pace yet never flashing so quickly as to not let you absorb every edge of every scene, the direction very much feels like taking the drug of the film and just acitvating the abilty to take it all in. Captivating. When searching for a comparison in its fluidity, i was drawn to the though of David fincher’s fight club in terms of the audacity at play. It is a distinctive look and vibe that plays with convention and has a controleld yet chaotic aesthetic that may not be for everyone, but is certainl;y a visual treat.

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Great 4.0

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 3.5

    There is a bit of eroticism to the film. There are sexual scenes in periodic doses, and even his lust for the drug after a while becomes somewhat psychosexual. and yes there certainly is violence. There are threats and fight scenes, there is some blood and an attempted suicide. Its not absurdly violent but it certainly does earn its rating. As for rudeness, i can safely say that the story itself lends to a crass environment. This is a world where drug use is seen, loan sharks and wall street bankers rob steal and kill each other. Limitless isnt simply about a man taking a drug and being smart…there are implications, ramifications, and setpieces thatarent for the faint of heart.

17. Sex Erotic 3.3

18. Violence Savage 3.7

19. Rudeness Profane 3.4

21. Reality

    Surreal 3.0

    The reality of this film is fascinating, as it is certainly a science fiction tale. The drug doesnt exist, the world around it is a slightly altered reality, and the situations have a sheen that is in the realm of the fantastical. That being said, they are real people, not superhuman (except eddie when hes on NZT) and the characters are grounded in a reality that feels legitimate. you never feel like you’re in a false world despite seeing certain things that you know are a bit far fetched by realistic standards. Wedged nicely in between the real world and make-believe makes the film easier to watch as well, being that deaspite those fantastic elements, you could feasibly see THIS future.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 3.0

23. Biological Supernatural 3.1

24. Physical Surreal 3.0