Limitless (2011)

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By: SG2

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a writer who isn’t really progressing in life. He lacks motivation and has no self-worth. Until one day he meets up with an old acquaintance who introduces him to NZT, a drug that helps you access 100% of your brain. Within 30 seconds he’s an intellectual badass. Motivated, witty, and able grow a portfolio worth twelve thousand dollars to two million in weeks. But all this doesn’t come without consequences.

Little. Yellow. Different.

A Toast

I have to toast the way the film did the warping through time and space scenes. In Limitless, we learn that coming down from NZT after prolonged use is bad. One of the worse symptoms is blacking out. In the first such instance Eddie Mora is standing in one place, and in the next moment he seems like he ‘jumped to’ the next spot. This sets us up for a tunnel vision-like sequence of worming from one block to the next, to the next, until he wakes up and finds himself having bumped into someone or what have you. Basically, he was on auto-pilot and walked from one place to the next for a very very long time. By the end of it his legs were tired, which I thought was a realistic. The way it’s done definitely makes you feel like you were taken for a wild ride.

http://www.digitalbusstop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Tunnel-Vision.gif

It’s like this, only better.

Beer Two

Abbie Cornish has a corny scene. She’s being chased by a man who is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. She’s hiding from him behind some rocks with some NZT on her. She’s scared and doesn’t know what to do. Eddie recommends she take a pill, which will give her the confidence and motivation to get out of the situation. After a few moments, a sense of calm takes over her face and her mood quickly changes to determination. She realizes she’s trapped behind rocks, and this guy will run after her, so she’ll have to bolt. But to where and what direction? Towards the man with a baseball bat or towards the ice skating ring where she sees a little child skating with her father?

Spoiler alert!

She chooses the latter. The chase goes right into the middle of the ice. She runs towards the little girl. She then stops. As the man chasing her gets closer she takes the little girl from her arms and swings her feet at the man’s face, cutting him big time. She then gently let’s the girl down and gets away. And I have my second beer.

Corn in the hole! In-coming!

Beer Three

The "Twilight" scene: In this scene a sober Eddie is going to die unless he can think himself out of the situation. Unfortunately, without the drug, he’s just as helpless as anyone else being held hostage by three armed thugs. Gennady (Andrew Howard) is the principal thug who wants more NZT and is ready to torture Eddie to find out where it is.

Spoiler Alert #2!!

While the other two are breaking into a safe and making a lot of noise, Eddie goes after Gennady with a knife and stabs him to death. A pool of blood forms and Eddie without a hesitation, Eddie begins to sip from the pool of blood in order to get some NZT in his system. I saw this coming the moment the pool of blood started to head in Eddie’s direction. I started the “oh no!” wail… everyone followed after… and the theater began to hollar and yell. I popped open this third beer immediately.

With a subtle aroma of death

Verdict

Limitless isn’t so limitless, but the concept, the dialogue, and the examples of how smart and powerful people can fool your cop-line up or double-cross you makes this movie one that I would recommend.

Bonus Drinking Game:

1. Take a shot anytime the man in the tan coat chases someone.
2. Take a shot anytime someone uses the word “algorithms.”