Limitless
Dir: Neil Burger
2011
***
I'm not sure director Neil Burger knew exactly what he wanted his adaptation of Alan Glynn's novel; The Dark Fields to be, either that or he totally misunderstood what it was about. As an anti-drug film it excels, until the end that is, where everything we've come to understood is completely undone for a more Hollywood friendly finish. The novel's conclusion is probably the best part, the film lacks any of the original's impact and completely contradicts the point of the story. The novel is an interesting Sci-fi 'What if' scenario, reminiscent of a Philip K. Dick story but without the clever bits. I loved the conclusion of the book but I can see why they'd want to change it for the film, the possibilities of which could have been endless but in the end, and although it is an above average film, it is let down by this complete misunderstanding of the source material that leads to a contrived finale complete with twisted logic and no clear point. The start of the film is great, so this doesn't feel like it was the intended conclusion and I suspect there might have been some meddling by producers who may have got cold feet and lost their nerve. Maybe we'll never know but I think it could and should have been better, it's totally let down by the last 15 minutes. I'm being generous in giving it 3 stars.

The Lucky Ones
Dir: Neil Burger
2008
***
Neil Burger's The Lucky Ones is full of conflicting ideas and contradicts itself at every turn. It's not as deep as it thinks it is either, often hinting at something greater than what actually transpires. It also has a very odd scene involving a tornado that is a terribly misguided attempt at symbolism (and that is me being very polite). All that said, I quite liked it. I don't think any of the unfortunates I have mentioned were intentional but somehow it works, it's so awkwardly quirky you just can't look away, serendipity at its kindest maybe. It is also well acted, directed and well edited, using handheld cameras to its advantage.