Limitless thriller movie

To continue research on our genre we chose, Thriller, I watched and took notes on the movie "Limitless".

1. Mis en Scene in "Limitless":

Costumes- Many suits are worn throughout the movie to dress the high profile characters, like the businessman in an early scene. Also, the main character often has scenes in worn-out clothes.

Lighting- For the most part the lighting in the movie is darker, but to show a transition from his nightly outings to the next morning there is brighter lighting.

Acting- The main character, Bradley Cooper, acts in a serious manner throughout most of the film, but also charming and cunning when he needs to. Overall, most characters are either serious or confident and clever.

Makeup- Besides everyday casual makeup, makeup was only seen in some violent scenes where fighting would occur and makeup was used to make realistic cuts and gashes of blood on characters.

Props- Many props were used throughout this movie. There was the computer the main character uses to write his novel, the magic drug he was later given, some guns in violent scenes, phones were also used throughout the entire movie as the main character spoke on the phone many times.

Setting- The movie takes place in New York City, however, some scenes like the car-chase scene was filmed in Purto Vallarta.

2. Camera Angles, Movements, and Shots

Angles- Low and High angles are used throughout the film, for example in the first scene as the main character is on the edge of a building the use a high angle to show how far he is from the ground and a low angle to show him standing tall. Also, eye-level shots and shoulder level shots are used throughout the movie when the main character is talking to another person.

Movements-A pan is used in the first scene again where he is standing on the roof to show all of his surroundings. Also, the zoom is used when the main character takes the "drug" and immediately feels all of its effects. Tracking is used as the main character feels very confident and he is walking down the streets of New York.

Shots- Many close-ups are used in serious conversations, where the viewer should listen closely to what they are saying. Also, many birds-eye view shots are used like in the car chase scene. Lastly, long shots are also used throughout the film to show entire rooms and characters within the room.

3. Common Sound in "Limitless":

All types of sound are used in this movie, with a focus on non-diegetic sounds to emphasize each little thing that happens in the scenes. For example, in the first scene when the main character is on the roof, traffic sounds and city noises are very present. Also, in the first scene, a voiceover is used as the main character explains he is about to tell us how he arrived in the situation shown. Additionally, Dialogue is one of the most important sounds in this movie and it can be found in almost every scene. For instance, in the very beginning when he has a conversation with an acquaintance about a mystery drug.

4. Common Editing- 

Since this is a complex film it included many editing techniques. For example, many jump cuts are used like in a scene where is he in a park on a bench and it cuts to a fast-moving work scene. Then, in the same scene, an eye-line match is used to show him reading numbers on a  computer and analyzing extremely fast. Also, in a later fighting scene, an action match is used to show him mimicking certain moves he had seen in a movie before.

5. Elements of Thrillers seen in the movie "Limitless":

Like a common Thriller movie, "Limitless" has a very engaging storyline especially since it starts off with a scene with the main character standing on top of a skyscraper. Also, in Thrillers, you often see the protagonist fall victim to someone else scheme or plot, and while in this movie there is no clear antagonist, it can be said that the magic drug he takes is the scheme he has been taken advantage by. Moreover, when it comes to the special effects in Thrillers, this movie follows typical effects of the genre by not including anything out of the ordinary like lasers or animation.

6. Elements of the genre "Limitless" had, that I liked: 

I always enjoy the engaging, on the edge of your seat, plot thrillers usually have, and this movie definitely had it. Also, I liked how this movie contained complex scenes that made you focused and not mindlessly watching. Lastly, the intensity of the movie like most Thrillers kept me engaged and always excited for the next scene

7. Elements of the genre "Limitless" had, that I did not like: 

Some things I did not enjoy about this movie, which many thrillers have is how it is unrealistic.  Many movies are enjoyable to watch because viewers can relate or almost think its real, however, in "Limitless" the plot of the movie seems surreal and very unlikely to happen. Also like many other thrillers, it is a very serious high-action movie so it is not suitable for casual viewing.