Limitless Movie Review

LIMITLESS = ****

A great science fiction movie always begins with a great “what if” question. Neil Burger’s latest film “Limitless” asks what if there was a pill that could make us smarter, richer and more powerful. Bradley Cooper stars as Eddie Morra who learns about the existence of such a pill after randomly running into his ex-brother-in-law on a New York street.
 The pill opens up and activates those large areas of our brains that, we are told, are never used. It allows us to process and understand information much faster than the average person. It opens those dusty file cabinets of lost memory buried deep in our warehouse. It allows us to interact positively with anyone in social situations. The ability to understand the stock market from a psychological point of view can, apparently, turn you into a rich man overnight.
 Because this pill is designed to make us smarter, the film has a level of intelligence usually abandoned in recent Hollywood thrillers. Thankfully the pill does not give us superhuman strength, so Cooper never morphs into Iron Man and the movie avoids comic book stupidity. Although I’m sure a movie about a pill that turns someone into a superhero can’t be far off, “Limitless” is a thoughtful real-world thriller based on a great “what if” question.