SummaryBased on legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick’s own experiences, A Scanner Darkly tells the darkly comedic, caustic, but deeply tragic tale of drug use in the modern world. The film plays like a graphic novel come to life with live-action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process -- a method known as interpolate...
SummaryBased on legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick’s own experiences, A Scanner Darkly tells the darkly comedic, caustic, but deeply tragic tale of drug use in the modern world. The film plays like a graphic novel come to life with live-action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process -- a method known as interpolate...
The casting of Reeves in the lead role is inspired: who better than the star of "The Matrix" and its sequels, a trilogy that borrows heavily from Dick's sensibility and obsessions, to play a personality split through overindulgence in drugs and manipulation by outside forces he barely recognizes?
The brilliance of A Scanner Darkly is how it suggests, without bombast or fanfare, the ways in which the real world has come to resemble the dark world of comic books.
A Scanner Darkly made in 2006.... All star cast including Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr and Rory Cochrane.... Whether it was about drugs or whatever I didn't really take note but some of the film at least was drug related if not most... The animation side of things was clever, some parts humourous and some strange. The only parts I hated were them suits or whatever they wore that changed their image over and over, very annoying but besides that a great animated film... Cleverly done. Contains sex and nudity.
With everything this film has going for it - humor, intelligence and a splendid ensemble - Richard Linklater's nightmare drug movie, A Scanner Darkly, should be continually compelling. But it loses its fizz after a strong series of pops.
But transforming full, live-action performances into quavering cartoons isn't inherently lyrical, and here it produces the jittery sense of a world dissolving into flat forms and buzzing prattle.
Definitely not for everyone. It's a very bleak story with uneven pacing and a narrative whose jumps in time are confusing and occasionally infuriating. But the post-apocalyptic mood blends well with its uniquely stylized look and surreal story.
While maybe not as personally enlightening as Linklater's earlier 'Waking Life', but A Scanner Darkly is certainly an unmissable piece of cinematic magic that will not sit well with everyone, but will really stand out as a marvel in complex story-telling and engrossing noir style, all told in animation.
Keanu Reeves plays detective Bob Artcor, who is an undercover cop deep within the Substance D universe, a powerful drug that has taken over America.
When Bob is back at the station, he is disguised by a 'scramble suit' which constantly changes the appearance of every part of his body, the other cops also wear them to protect their identity from their colleagues.
Bob has problem, which is his addiction to the drug, he spends his day with Ernie Luckman (Woody Harrelson) and James Barris (Robert Downey Jr) getting high and rambling endlessly through the day.
Bob also hasn't realised the drug is slowly deteriorating his brain, which causes him to hallucinate outside of using the drug.
His supplier, Donna (Winona Ryder) is an extremely damaged individual who never seems to be on a level head.
Barris is a very shifty character, perfectly portrayed by Downey Jr, he is constantly suspicious of Bob and Donna's relationship and goes so far as to contact the police, unaware of the fact that it is Bob's alter-ego Fred who he is talking to.
The cast is excellent here, with the standout performance of Downey Jr bringing an erratic and paranoid feel to the film, while the film itself is beautifully crafted to create a realisation of drugs and human behaviour, while also having a fantastic dialogue in typical Linklater style.
What is most striking is the simplicity that the film attempts to create, almost saying that this will indeed become a problem and how we need to deal with it. The actual intelligence and thought-provoking nature of the feature really deems it unmissable for movie fanatics.
The film is simply dazzling on all levels. It tells a clever and damaging story while also flickering in moments of humour which help the plot move forward, it can be quite puzzling at times but does require your full attention, because if you do you will be rewarded with a remarkable and gifted film., one, much like Waking Life, that will be difficult to forget, and certainly a shame to miss.
Though incredibly interesting, A Scanner Darkly is never as good as I wished it was. Using really unique animation and an off-beat tone courtesy of director Richard Linklater, A Scanner Darkly is an interestingly put together film that just ****. Aside from the aforementioned tone, it feels somehow unsatisfactory like a meal that tastes pretty good, but is not filling. In addition, its plotting can be a little convoluted at times that creates problems when trying to follow the plot of the film. While far from perfect, A Scanner Darkly is too interestingly put together to ignore thanks to Linklater's typically stellar writing and direction, plus the unique approach to Philip K. **** source material. Overall, A Scanner Darkly is pretty good to ok and works well in terms of messages and themes, but is just too off-putting and average to really excel.
Mesmerizing visuals aside, Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly" is a mostly unfulfilling crawl through meandering dialogue and some decidedly vapid events.