Limitless

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) should have everything going for him but his life is falling apart. Behind on bills, behind on writing deadlines, behind the 8–ball, he reaches bottom when his girlfriend leaves him. Then he bumps into his ex–wife’s brother who says he has a solution: a designer drug that unlocks the brain’s full potential. Eddie takes the drug and is introduced to the possibilities of a life without limits. The effects wear off after a day, so Eddie wonders where he can get another dose, not thinking about other consequences that might lie ahead, especially when powerful people see their chance to exploit the drug.

ClearPlay In Action!

Surprisingly, there’s not a lot of language to be edited in Limitless, with fewer than 30 instances. But apparently, being super–smart makes you a player with the ladies, as four implied sex scenes are cut in the ClearPlayed version. More prevalent are the disturbing images — a man throwing up, many shots of bloody violence, a man slurping blood off the floor — I’ll tell you, it’s a dangerous world out there for the brainiacs. Even ClearPlayed, the drug angle and the numerous seedy characters make the movie inappropriate for younger viewers.

Does a good time have its limits?…

I’m still trying to figure out if Limitless is a cautionary tale or a 2–hour celebration of drug abuse. Either way, it’s a stylish, well-made thriller that has many nice twists and turns. Bradley Cooper has an appealing presence, and Robert De Niro is fun as a Machiavellian energy magnate.

Marty Nabhan— ClearPlay Cure For What Ails You

Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language; 105 min; Directed By Neil Burger