LIMITLESS tells the story of Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), a novelist with a very bad case of writers block. After being dumped by former girlfriend Lindy, played by Abbie Cornish, he is at his lowest point. Then, a chance meeting between him and the brother of ex-wife Melissa in a New York City street takes place and Eddie is introduced to a drug named NZT, something that allows him to access 100% of his brain. Suddenly Eddie’s world opens up – he finishes his book in a matter of hours, and after gaining capital from a dodgy Russian mobster, gets rich very quickly…
… and I could go on, but I don’t want to spill any more, as LIMITLESS is one of those films that you will more out of the less you know going in. I will mention that along the way Robert De Niro gets involved as a huge player in the stock market, and Anna Friel pops up as Eddie’s former missus, in a rather interesting role for the British actress – but this is Bradley Cooper’s movie, his first as a bonafide movie star. He broke out into the Hollywood A-list after hitting the big time in THE HANGOVER, and then secured it with supporting roles in films like THE A-TEAM and erm, ALL ABOUT STEVE, but this is his first leading role and boy has the lad from the back streets of Philly done good. Cooper essentially carries the whole movie, and appears in every scene. This past Thursday I met up with Bradley at a very swanky London hotel to discuss his work on the movie, and his upcoming projects.
Beware of potential spoilers below…
After THE HANGOVER, was it refreshing for you to play someone like Eddie? A completely different character…
Bradley Cooper: I love Phil (from THE HANGOVER) and I love Eddie too, but it was nice to be cast in a movie that was in a different genre for sure, and to be cast in a movie where the burden of the storytelling was on my shoulders I really liked. I really loved that challenge, and also play a character that goes through quite a transformation physically and emotionally. But I don’t mind being associated with THE HANGOVER. I’m honoured to be a part of it.
Yes?
Yes.
Ok.
You’re like, oh really? (laughs). Are you sure?
Sorry.
That was great (laughs).
Do you think that Eddie’s a good guy then?
Yeah. I don’t think that he is malicious in any way. Certainly we don’t know what the reason is for taking, or what is objective is by taking the drug. It’s not to make money that’s for sure. We don’t really know what it is.
He becomes very powerful and focussed when he’s on NZT (the drug). Do you think power always corrupts, or do you think Eddie escaped that.
I don’t think he escaped it. That’s really the point of the movie in that it’s a tretcherous road. That’s the main thrust if there’s any theme to the movie. It’s not about the price of power but the challenges of power.
Would you say that there’s an undercurrent about how men, and women even deal with failure and success?
Yes. For sure.
If you could take the pill, and it wouldn’t have any side effects, would you?
Yes. I would take it either way (laughs).
You were obviously producer on the film how did the project come to you?
I ran to it. It was out there and I read the script. I read it and loved it and then I just tried to get a meeting with Neil Burger, who had just signed on to direct it. It had been around for years. Leslie Dixon wrote it, I think in 2007 or 2008, and Heath Ledger was going to do it, and then Shia Labeouf for a while…
How was it balancing the two roles on the film as producer and actor?
Well, it was actually a wonderful marriage. Basically what it allows you to do is participate without apologising. Instead of doing something and then apologising, you can do something and go… how about….?
If you could perfect a language if you took the drug, what would it be?
German.
How come?
You know A FISH CALLED WANDA. That John Cleese movie? I just love German?
Can I ask what ending of the film that you preferred?
The one in the movie.
Do you not prefer the ambiguity of the alternate ending on the DVD? The fact that he’s left in a far darker place.
I feel that the ending that we chose, that ended up in the movie, was more ambiguous – is he on the drug, is he off the drug? Was he lying to them… or not? It can be just as dark an ending as the other one if he’s lying to Carl. That whole thing was a ruse in a way – he’s not off the drug – he’s still taking the drug and he doesn’t know what he’s going to do? All he does to him is say that hey, I’m off the drug but I’ve retained some of the power. In the book [it’s totally different] – he’s in a hotel room in Vermont and he’s waiting for someone to come and kill him. He’s not running for senator or anything. He’s just lost it all. We departed from that, but before I came aboard Leslie Dixon’s script had chosen a different way to go.
How far down the road are you with THE CROW?
You know I’m not sure where we are with that.
Are you still commited to it?
It was never something like that. Things kinda get traction on the Internet, but I’m not sure where that is.
Can I touch on PARADISE LOST? How far are you along on that?
We just did some motion capture test. (Bradley gets his Blackberry out of his pocket and shows off a photo of him dressed in the mo-cap gear).
So you’re still shooting?
I hope so! I just did all of this… (laughs). That would suck if we don’t shoot… No, it’s full on. The deals are done and that was our second day. We were just testing out different rigs. It’s really exciting and we start shooting properly in January.
How do you feel about playing the biggest baddie there ever was?
Oh man, I can’t wait. I can’t believe I’m doing it. On THE A-TEAM tour, here actually, I met Ralph Fiennes – he’s a friend of Liam (Neeson). We were talking and he said, ‘What do you want to do,’ and I said it’s so crazy, there’s this project PARADISE LOST. All I want to do is play the devil, and I remember he said to me; you’re going to do it. You know when someone says something and it seems so real, so I said ‘oh great, yeah.’ You never know ’til you’re shooting, [and I’m] expecting to hear; Shia Labeouf’s Lucifer. You know? But, we’re all scheduled.
What discussions have you had about UNCHARTED?
Zero conversations. I don’t know what it is… I believe it’s a movie that Neil Burger is going to direct? No, I’m so glad he got it. He deserves it.
We have to ask, are there any plans for any further ‘Hangover’ adventures?
No plans, but I hope there is. I think that there should be a trilogy.
You should take them to Blackpool. You’d like it there.
You know someone said that to me this morning. Done!
LIMITLESS is released on DVD and Blu-Ray from Monday 1st August.
