HOLLYWOOD—Bradley Cooper is amazing in “Limitless,” a film by Neil Burger which opens this weekend in theaters around the nation. Cooper’s very polished and yet down to earth style of acting is very alluring to both male and female viewers. In this film Cooper does a lot more than flash his smile, and there are definitely moments of dramatic sequences where he holds his own even up against film icon Robert De Niro. The two share great chemistry as leading men and adversaries, with Cooper offering his best film performance to date.
Other standout performances include Abby Cornish, who portrays Lindy, and Johnny Whitworth, who portrays Vernon in the film. Both are excellent in their roles, with Cornish playing a part I’d never seen her in before. The writing is fast-paced and very well done. The film is about Eddie (Cooper), a copywriter who discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super-human abilities. As his usage starts to change his life, he begins to consider the drug’s shadowy origins; meanwhile, a group of killers trails his every move.
The action between Cooper and De Niro rises to a fever pitch and eventually the two have a major showdown at the end of the film, which doesn’t end the way the audience expects it to end. The writing by Leslie Dixon fills the screenplay with lots of twists and turns, along with great romantic drama as well. Dixon’s writing has the viewers cheering on Cooper’s character to defeat the powerful and evil conglomerate, run by De Niro’s character.
Bradley Cooper’s performance is mystifying by the range he plays before the camera. Firstly, he plays an every day guy, which he’s very good at normally, but then it takes on super-human sequences and his emotions change and he transitions into those scenes smoothly, and ultimately he becomes arrogant and then is confronted by De Niro’s character Carl Van Loon’s diabolical and treacherous nature. Bradley plays it as if he’s brave, but the fear the character feels is evident to viewers in those scenes as well. The film is an emotional ride that is fun-filled and intriguing for the audience.
Bradley Cooper has grown as an actor, and this is his breakout performance that places him not just in the category of A-list leading man, but one of Hollywood’s most dynamic actors as well. The review’s title says it all. “Bradley Cooper is limitless.”
“Limitless” receives Four of Five Stars from this reviewer.
