- Film Review
- Reviewed By Trevor Johnston
-
4 out of 5
An illicit drug transforms struggling writer Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) from a man crippled by self-doubt and headed for the skids to a world-beater in Neil Burger's thriller. When an old friend slips him a dose of the untested substance, it prompts a massive rush of creativity, but its addictive downside also becomes frighteningly obvious and soon he's craving more of the so-called NZT. All looks set for a fairly standard cautionary tale on the pros and cons of narcotics, yet Burger generates maximum impact from the amiable Cooper's highs and lows, and poses interesting questions about the benefits accrued from such artificial assistance. The director is also well served by Robert De Niro, who puts in one of his more effective recent performances as a ruthless tycoon. True, the film has some problematic loose ends and the female roles (sceptical girlfriend Abbie Cornish, troubled ex-wife Anna Friel) are largely underwritten, but otherwise this is punchy and witty entertainment with an adept balance of adrenaline rush and clear-eyed sobriety.
Plot Summary
Sci-fi thriller starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. One of life's losers is transformed into a high-achieving dynamo thanks to a mysterious new drug, but his overnight success attracts the wrong kind of attention from those keen to profit from the discovery.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Eddie Morra
- Bradley Cooper
- Carl Van Loon
- Robert De Niro
- Lindy
- Abbie Cornish
- Melissa
- Anna Friel
- Gennady
- Andrew Howard
- Vernon
- Johnny Whitworth
- Pierce
- Robert Burke
- Man in tan coat
- Tomas Arana
- Kevin Doyle
- Darren Goldstein
- Morris Brandt
- Ned Eisenberg
- Valerie
- T V Carpio
- Mrs Atwood
- Patricia Kalember
Crew
- Director
- Neil Burger
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