Limitless

Limitless is a competently entertaining thriller that is probably most noteworthy for one thing. It marks the emergence of Bradley Cooper as a genuine leading man. After strong performances in ensemble pieces (The A Team; The Hangover) and miraculously coming through Sandra Bullock disaster All About Steve with his career more or less intact, here he has to carry a film for the first time and proves himself comfortably up to the task. He may not ever be troubling the Academy voters, but showd he has enough charisma and sparkle to keep an audience with him, even when his character is doing things that may not be altogether likeable.

Cooper plays Eddie Morra, a struggling writer whose life is transformed when he is offered a drug that enables him to tap into more of his brain's capacity. Needless to say, in good Faustian trandition, there are consequences to this path to success, including blackouts, headaches and many a nasty thug to deal with.

Director Neil Burger delivered a competent thriller in The Illusionist, but this is better and the action holds together well, although some of visual flourishes to show the effects of the drug are a bit too showy for their own good. Burger also leaves pleasing ambiguities in the ending, like is or isn't Eddie still using and was he guilty of killing a girl during one of his blackouts. Make your own mind up. Cooper is ably supported by Abby Cornish, who has more of a character to work with than in Sucker Punch, but drifts out of the film towards the end. Its also nice to see De Niro acting as if he actually cares about the role for a change as Cooper's mentor-nemesis.

There are weaknesses here too - the stereotypical Eastern European rent-a-thugs add little to proceeding other than to muddy the plot a little and up the violence levels.

Overall - 7.5/10 A confidently engaging thriller which marks the emergence of a true leading man.