"''Limitless doesn't take itself too seriously, it's a superb 'what if' story, that will keep you engaged from start to finish...''"

Humans use twenty percent of our brain capacity, what if we could use all of it? What would you do if you were suddenly granted the ability to unlock your inner potential? Well that question is answered to some degree in this film.

Based on the novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn, we are introduced to Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) who is on the edge of a building as he recounts the path that got him there. As he tells his story we are reintroduced to Eddie as a down on his luck writer with no direction, suffering from terminal writers block, that is until he has a chance encounter with his ex brother in law Vernon played by Johnny Whitworth who introduces him to an experimental new drug known as "NZT" and the fun begins; Eddie writes the first part of his novel in no time at all, cleans his apartment and is basically just a much more improved version of his former self, but when the effects wear off he goes to Vernon to get more, and that's where the trouble starts.

Without giving too much away, Eddie becomes more than he could have ever imagined and goes about making some drastic changes for the better, however the drug poses some side effects and he soon experiences black outs and finds himself hunted by thugs who are onto his secret and want it for themselves.

Despite a slow start, and a slightly annoying voice over from Bradley Cooper, which is really not needed, the film is visually stunning. How ever "out there" the source material is, Cooper pulls off the task of performing the double side role of a bedraggled down on his luck writer, and yet is equally as good as the slick, confident, drug fuelled Eddie, proving Cooper's multiple talents. His support cast of Abbie Cornish as his long suffering girlfriend and Robert De Niro as billionaire business man Carl Van Loon, also add to the film's talented cast, and although De Niro isn't exactly at his Raging Bull best, he still brings a certain gravitas to the film, particularly in one speech where he talks about the slippery ladder of success, showcasing De Niro at his best.

My only bug bear with Limitless, is the Hollywood version of what becoming suddenly extremely intelligent and having your IQ raised beyond normal levels entails; the film almost ignores Eddie's sudden Rain Man penchant for numbers or the fact he can pick up any musical instrument and learn to play it like a pro, and focuses more on the fact that being clever means you can finally finish writing your book, which means you can, more importantly, become rich, win back your girlfriend, wear nice suits and drive expensive cars.

For a film like this, it's obvious why these shallow and transparent analogies of intelligence and wealth equals money and fast cars were used, as they are visually more translatable and provide an even greater visual comparison for the slightly scruffier looser that Eddie was portrayed as in the beginning. However it doesn't take Limitless any further into the poignant and meaningful realm as say Sandra Bullocks transformation in Miss Congeniality. However this was never meant to be the deepest of films, and if taken for what it is, then it is still highly enjoyable, and does make you think on a certain level.

The second half of the film unfortunately doesn't match up to the first half, as it turns a corner into predictable thriller territory, but Cooper's performance and the almost surreal and fast paced directing of Neil Burger, kept us glued to the screen. Limitless doesn't take itself too seriously, it's a superb 'what if' story, that will keep you engaged from start to finish.

Limitless Film Page | Bradley Cooper Image Library | Robert De Niro Image Library

LIMITLESS IS OUT IN UK CINEMA'S TODAY