A man wants to improve his intelligence, so he voluntary submits to a scientific experiment, resulting in him becoming a genius, much smarter than anyone else. But the experiment has some side effects, and near the end of the movie the man finds that the experiment is only temporary, and he becomes his old, retarded self again.
That's not the plot synopsis for "Limitless", it's actually from a 1968 movie called "Charly". But the basic plot is the same.
Bradley Cooper (who is not really an actor, just a guy who makes movies) plays Eddie Morra, a down on his luck aspiring book writer, who just can't get motivated enough to finish his book and make something out of his life. And his life is a mess: bills are due, apartment is a mess, girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) is dumping him, and he needs a haircut.
Eddie learns about a drug called NZT, a drug which makes him extremely focused and a super-genius. If humans only use 20% of their brain, this drug increases usage to 100%. Eddie then uses his new-found smarts to elevate himself in the financial world, attracting the attention of Carl Van Loon (played by Robert De Niro) who wants to use him to increase his business holdings. It also attracts assassins who also want the drug.
But as Eddie's NZT supply dwindles down, he finds the pill has some dangerous side effects, requiring him to keep taking the drug. If he runs out of NZT, he'll die. There is one scene in the movie (which many of you will find disturbing) where Eddie has run out of NZT, and he faces an assassin who has taken the last pill. Eddie does what he has to in order to "recharge" himself, which causes many people to look away from the screen. It's my favorite scene in the movie.
At 105 minutes, the movie moves rather quickly, with some interesting cinematography and some great twists and turns that keep the story moving.
I highly recommend this movie, which opens on March 18th, and give it four Percosets and a Alka Seltzer.
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