Limitless

When I first saw that Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro were starring in a movie together, I was beyond ecstatic. I remember seeing it on the television at my mother's house and saying "I don't care what it's about, I'm in". That film, my friends, became the highlight of my spring break. Sure I enjoyed spending time with my family and visiting all the things I'll miss when I move to Los Angeles after graduation, but that film surpassed any other experience I have had since seeing the one and only Fight Club.

This film actually reminded me a lot of Fight Club. I'm not sure if it was the sarcastic, witty voice over from a man with nothing to lose, or the attention to detail poured into the sound design. It could have also been the snappy editing, or the techno soundtrack often laid under scenes. It could have also been the nail biting moments that kept getting more and more intense until I found myself curled in a ball with my arms wrapped so tight around my torso that my muscles began to ache, a scream waiting for the moment I was so caught up in the intensity that I forgot to sensor myself for the benefit of the other audience members. A scream which, by the way, escaped briefly at the "all is lost" point in the film, despite my best efforts. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that the film gripped me to the point that I almost had to leave the theater because I was so wrapped up in the plot and unsure of how Cooper could escape the mess that had begun to constrict his life before he even knew it. I'm glad a stayed though.

Bradley Cooper, who I have been following since seeing him in Older Than America, delivered one of the best performances of his career. He just keeps getting better and better as time goes on. The best part of the entire film was when he had a faceoff with De Niro, who in my book and many others is one of the highest powers in the acting world, and Cooper held his own with remarkable grace. He didn't flinch as he stood there, smugly looking down at the two time Oscar winner in the final scene of the movie, exuding what could only be described as the essence of hard-earned cockiness. He was absolutely brilliant.

One thing I have not yet decided my opinion on is the severe underplaying of De Niro. On the one hand there wasn't as much of him as I would have liked in the film, but on the other it made the film that much more elegant. It's like a fine scotch, you don't drink it all in one sitting by yourself, you space it out and share with friends (I'm hoping this is how you refer to expensive scotch and how you enjoy it because I'm not too familiar with the terms and traditions of alcohol, but you get my point).

All in all, this is a film I would highly recommend seeing in a theater. It is brilliantly intense, and let's be honest, who doesn't enjoy Cooper and De Niro?