Film Review: LIMITLESS (2011)

Director: Neil Burger
Writers: Leslie Dixon (screenplay), Alan Glynn (novel)
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Thriller/Sci-Fi/Mystery
UK Release date: 23^rd March 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15^th January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

When I read about the concept behind this film I must say I was quite intrigued; a pill that could allow access to the parts of the brain we don’t use? Who could resist? Well it didn’t play at my local cinema and so after quite a long wait it finally appeared in the TV listings this week. It had received a bit of a mixed response from the critics but I thought I’d take the plunge anyway. I’ll give you my thoughts after this brief summary.

Eddie Morra is a struggling writer; he has a contract to write a book but is struggling to find inspiration and motivation. By chance he meets his ex-wife’s brother, Vernon, a former drug dealer; he gives him a pill that changes his life. It’s called NZT and it enables him to think faster than ever; he finishes his book in double quick time. When the effects wear off he decides he has to get more. He goes to see Vernon who he finds dead. Searching his apartment he discovers his stash and steals it. Now he can take it every day he soon realises that writing isn’t for him; stocks and shares are the future. Having had some meteoric success in the stock market, he is now in the spotlight of the big boys. Enter Carl Van Loon, a very successful businessman who takes Eddie under his wing. As a side note, Eddie at this point also gets his girlfriend, Lindy, back. About to broker a major deal; Eddie discovers a disturbing side-effect of the drug… I will leave it there or the Spoiler Police (Illegal Drugs Division) will have me banged up for possession.

A very well made film with some neat CGI and camera work which is used to try and illustrate the effect of the drug on Eddie. I also liked the narration; it gave an insight into his thought processes as events unfolded around him. Decent performances all round; Bradley Cooper did a good job as Eddie Morra, Robert De Niro was great (as ever), although never really stretched as Carl Van Loon and Abbie Cornish was decent, if underused, as Lindy. Andrew Howard did a good job as the Russian moneylender Gennady and there was a nice little part for Anna Friel as Eddie’s ex-wife Melissa.

Quite a slick production with some nice touches; not all of them worked, but it’s still a perfectly watchable Sci-Fi/Thriller. As I’ve already said, I did enjoy some of the camera trickery used to illustrate the effect of the drug, in particular the tunnel-like pan straight into the screen, which worked particularly well. There were a few aspects of the plot that didn’t quite work for me, but over all it’s still pretty enjoyable… Recommended.

My score: 7.4/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 103,342 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1219289/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 69/100 (based on 180 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 73/100 (based on 84,511 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/limitless/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Eddie Morra: Obviously I miscalculated a few things.
Man: [banging door] Eddie! I know you're in there.
Eddie Morra: Why is it that the moment your life exceeds your wildest dreams, the knife appears at your back? Well, I'll tell you one thing... I will never let them touch me.

Eddie Morra: You see that guy? That was me not so long ago. What kind of guy without a drug or alcohol problem looks this way? Only a writer.

Vernon: You know how they say we can only access 20% of our brain?
[Vernon points out the NZT pill on the table]
Vernon: This lets you access all of it.

Carl Van Loon: So, Eddie Morra... And you do know you're a freak? What's your secret?
Eddie Morra: Medication.

Eddie Morra: [parting ways with Carl] You should really be glad about this, because you know, me working for you, you'd end up being my bitch.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.iamrogue.com/limitless/fullsite/index.html
Trailer:

Film Review: LONDON BOULEVARD (2010)

Writer (Screenplay)/Director: William Monahan
Running time: 99 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Crime/Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 26^th November 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 13^th November 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember when this came out it didn’t make any big ripples in the pool of critical acclaim. Just another British gangster movie was the vibe I got from various sources. Even so, when it recently aired on TV I decided to give it a look. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised to find a very understated, but at the same time, quite violent film that I quite enjoyed. It does have its faults though; I’ll get to them after this very brief summary.

When Mitchel is released from prison having done a three year stretch for an assault he finds it all too easy to slip into his old ways. An old friend, Billy Norton, sets him up with somewhere to live and takes him out collecting protection money in the high rise flats. It’s not what Mitchel wants though and he is tempted with an offer of a job looking after reclusive actress, Charlotte. Her assistant (for want of a better word) Jordan shows him the ropes but he is always being dragged back into the world he is trying to escape. A big crime boss, Gant, wants him to steal from Charlotte, but he has become very attached to her. Can Mitchel get away from the life that sent him to jail or will he be sucked back into that life to protect what he holds dear? There is much more to it than that but the Spoiler Police have threatened to take away my PC if I say any more.

A very well made film with some interesting performances. I thought Colin Farrell did a decent job as Mitchel, although I did find his English accent a bit odd. Keira Knightley also put in a decent turn as the slightly paranoid Charlotte. David Thewlis as Jordan and Anna Friel as Briony (Mitchel’s sister) were excellent. Finally, Ben Chaplin as Billy Norton and (of course), Ray Winstone as Gant both did excellent work also.

I found the film quite confusing at first, there were many threads that started and didn’t really seem to go anywhere. Once the Mitchel/Charlotte storyline gets established though, it does become more coherent. As I said at the beginning, it’s quite violent and so maybe not one for the more squeamish. Rather a lot of time is spent on establishing Mitchel as a gangster and not enough on his blossoming romance with Charlotte. This meant that I ended up not really convinced by their relationship in the end and so it didn’t quite work (for me). It is still worth a watch though and I’d still deem it… Recommended (just).

My score: 7.1/10

IMDb Score: 6.3/10 (based on 13,450 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1213648/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Mitchel: You don't want me to be a gangster. Nobody wants’ me to be a gangster, 'cause I could not stop if I started.
Mitchel: You'd be the first to die.

Charlotte: If I fell in love with you, what would you do about it?
Mitchel: Everything.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/london-boulevard
Trailer: