A Scanner Darkly

It takes a lot of self-indulgent industry-types to find this film appealing on any front. This film was just plain awful. If I was high I would have been entertained for ten more minutes than I was - totaling 12 minutes. How anyone can walk away from this film with an impression of favor is beyond me. I find it interesting, when reading reviews, that viewers of some of the most pathetic attempts at film-making can conjure up anything good to say about the most blatant crap they have just viewed. I have a couple of theories about these people; They are so lost in the "wanting" for the film that they have anticipated to be a life changing event, that they cannot bring themselves to accept that it is actually a grave mistake made by film makers who appreciate themselves way too much. Or They just are too afraid to admit that they didn't "get it." So they ASSUME the film was awesome and feel the need to drop thirty paragraphs of exposition that is actually (and unbelievably) more boring than the film itself. Word to the wise, if you don't "get" a film or feel you should have enjoyed it but didn't...go with your gut instinct and tell us it was crap. You may find reality to be rather refreshing once you start living in it. This Film Is Pure Junk. People should be embarrassed. I hope they are.

Great director, great cast, great screenplay, great book, poor movie. The story-line is pretty complex as with all of PKD's works. In brief, its about an undercover cop trying to find the source of Substance D, a highly addictive and destructive drug. There are plot twists within plot twists which really work in the book and almost work in the movie. The down-side is the whole movie is shot as if it was put through the Artwork filter in Photoshop. Unfortunately, in complete contrast to Sin City, it just doesn't work. In Sin City the actors were real and the background was stylized so there was still the human touch and that made it special. Remove that and you are left with lots of pretty pictures. If The Scanner Darkly was shot normally it would have been a fantastic movie. If you are a PKD fan then it probably won't matter that much to you anyway.

Sunday, June 18 12:00am The Neptune "I wanna be found with a copy of The Fountainhead and a letter to Exxon …" At some point in recent history, rotoscoping has become a technique perceived as clever and attractive. When used in television advertising it is without question an attention getting device. When used in feature film making, all of the unpleasant and disconcerting qualities of rotoscoping become so much more glaringly obvious. Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly is based on the semi-autobiographical work of Philip K. Dick and his descent into the world of drug abuse and paranoia. Set in the near-future, Scanner centers on the lives of several Orange County addicts, recruited by the government to spy on each other. With a cast of well known Hollywood slackers, bringing their own dubious personal backgrounds to the mix, and using an animation gimmick intended to be seen as hip and cutting-edge, Linklater has managed to mangle a literary work admired by many, replacing it with a weak, visually irritating and disappointing cartoon.

Richard Linlater's work has always been up for subjective review, especially considering he has a wide array of high concept films. A Scanner Darkly fits quite nicely along with his other "animation" film A Waking Life. But much like the previous film, the exposition of the film was sometimes lacking. The movie can quickly captivate and bring you into a world of drug addiction that can't be accomplished with standard film-making techniques. In this respect, the film succeeds on many levels, giving us little glimpses into a person's own sense of paranoia and self delusion. I especially felt the "blur" suit was an incredible idea that was easily (and most likely cheaply) accomplished on screen. The only downside to the movie was the plot, or the lacking of. We move along at a respectable enough pace, but the tension never builds. We're led into a world of conspiracy and paranoia but that experience seems to be lost in the script. If Linklater had managed to build along this preset, the film and the actions of the characters would have made more sense. But instead, we get a rather ho-hum story of conspiracy and collusion. I give Linklater some credit for taking yet another unusual step in his career, but he still has a way from making his career-defining masterpiece.

I found "A Scanner Darkly" to be boring, pretentious and unremarkable. Obviously, that is a minority opinion. I am not a fan of Phillip K. Dick, particularly, but I do appreciate some of his work. I have enjoyed some of the many movies based on his work. This is not one of them. I can't remember being as bored by any other movie as I was by this one. I disliked the characters, what they were doing, what they were saying, and how they were presented. The dialogue is pretty true to how drugged stoners talk, but unless you are a drugged stoner it is mostly boring to listen to (I admit there were a few actually humorous moments, but not enough to make watching the film bearable). The film has pretensions of making a "statement" about drug use, but the story is so convoluted and so full of plot holes that any meaning is completely lost. It is hard to tell if there are any actual performances in the movie. The animation is the only thing the movie has going for it and even that lost its novelty after the first ten minutes and simply became distracting. This is a relatively short movie but it felt much, much, much longer. It seemed like it would never end. I can see that this movie will appeal to druggies and to art film fans who prefer movies that are dark, depressing, poorly acted and don't make any sense (a comprehensible story is a negative for an art film). Why anyone else would want to see it is beyond me.

Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly" is a humanistic and undeniably heartbreaking adaptation of Phillip K Dick's novel. What works is the film's pre-occupation with the human condition, focusing on the emotional and psychological effects of substance abuse, relationships, and essentially, trust, or lack thereof. The performances are wonderful. Keanu Reeves' portrayal of Bob/Fred is incredibly sensitive and thoughtful. His final scene in the field, picking a blue flower, showed what a subtle and textured actor he can be. Winona Ryder is also really moving as Donna, the object of Bob/Fred's desires. Every word rang true. She seemed to capture a sense of mystery, internal sorrow, and confusion within the phrasing of her dialog and the tiniest of exchanges with Reeves. The scene in which the couple argue about Donna's refusal of intimacy is excellent and the chemistry really tense. There's a wonderful sense of rhythm within the delivery, and the emotion is raw. It is a good comeback. As for Downey Jnr and Harrelson...well, they work incredibly well, bouncing off one another with the an air of campness and fun. Blowing smoke rings, watching someone choke, freaking out about a nine speed bike and the state of the universe, are all delivered with conviction and strength. Downey's Barris is stern, but also a lot of fun. Whilst Harrelson really shines when utterly confused, stoned, and paranoid. The animation is also really beautiful. It is rich, and hardly distracting (as some have claimed). It works in the film's favor, conveying a sense of hyper-reality that is also embedded within every day life. It feels real, rather than detached or futuristic. We are engrossed, not removed from the story or its characters. Please see this film. All of you. It broke my heart.

Saw this film today in a theater with no air conditioning on the hottest day of the year...pretty fitting for a movie about claustrophobic paranoia. I'd been looking forward to seeing this from the first time I saw the trailer. Whatever can be said about this film, there is no denying it's totally unique look. After awhile, you begin to get used to the rotoscoping and then suddenly, there will be something thrown in that will call attention to itself and remind you that you are watching animation. I am a fan of Dick's work, but have not yet read the novel upon which this film is based. Great performances all around and kudos to Linklater for his fantastic vision. The film could be considered a bit talky to the average moviegoer, but is much appreciated by fans of cerebral sci-fi. Fascinating premise is told through interesting blend of suspense and comedy. Not for everyone, but certainly worth a look. Certain to become a cult classic.

I am not a huge Linklater fan. His films usually give me a good laugh(Slacker, Dazed and Confused) or they present interesting concepts that will stir up good conversation(Waking Life) or they are for children(School of Rock). I don't consider him a great filmmaker but I would consider him an interesting storyteller and probably a great guy to talk to. A Scanner Darkly changes everything. Even though Phillip K. Dick wrote it, Richard adapted the screenplay perfectly. I found that the film ran like a combination of Tarantinoesque chronology(Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs) and a Nolanesque confusion(Memento). The rotoscoping animation was used perfectly to highlight the cinematography. I left the theater with a sort of David Lynchish feel(Lost Highway, Mullholland Drive) but the plot lines were actually sewn up more neatly. Having seen the film only once, in no way am I saying that A Scanner Darkly compares with the films I've mentioned, but with multiple viewings I am guessing that I may rank it somewhere close. I can certainly see how someone that has never taken any psychedelics or ingested any type of psychotropic substance might feel less enthusiastic about some of the themes but I can't see them denouncing the film for that reason. If you have ever gone on a "trip" then you will be instantly able to relate to some of the particular scenes. I thought that everyone acted brilliantly in their particular roles. Keanu's agent should win some sort of award. Mr. Reeves is not in any way a credit to Shakespeare but his agent always seems to find certain roles that suit Keanu's tendencies. I think it is undoubtable that this film becomes a cult classic. I hope it fares well at the box office because I would like to believe that the world is starting to appreciate good film more than it has of late. If you enjoy a good "mind-bender" of a film that doesn't stop resonating in your head until days after you have seen it, then A Scanner Darkly is for you. If you go to the theater simply for spoon-fed entertainment, see this film anyway and hopefully you will wake up and have an original thought some time soon.

For some reason I can't get separate the way I feel about Radiohead's Kid A and Amnesiac albums from the way I feel about this movie. If you love adult sci-fi that is complex and strangely moving then this is a must see movie. This captures Philip K. Dick's spirit better than any movie since BLADERUNNER and is even more difficult to pin a reaction on. SCANNER is a more intimate film. Anybody who has seen Richard Linklater's mind boggling WAKING LIFE will be instantly familiar (and comfortable) with the way SCANNER looks. The rotoscoping technique doesn't seem that much further evolved from WAKING except for the scrambler suit whose effect is a continuous wonder to behold. The look beautifully suits the story because they both speak to the large disconnect that has happened in our society via technology. Interpersonal and immediately accessible intercommunication devices have allowed us to avoid real communication and immediate interaction with our surroundings and the people who inhabit them at any moment on a grander scale than ever before. I find it rather depressing and annoying when my current reality in interrupted by a bloody cell phone (unless, of course, it is mine that is ringing). Dick's work often addressed alienation and sinking so far into your own that reality became a liquid element usually washing us up onto the shores paranoia and madness. SCANNER evokes this strangeness in a way few movies ever have.

I love Philip K. Dick's work and was pleased with this adaptation of "A Scanner Darkly." Keanu Reeves does a really good job in the lead - he's in his element here - but he's really upstaged by Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson who engage in some surreal and hilarious conversations. It's like you're sitting with a bunch of guys tripping. Needless to say, some of the dialogue is hilarious, and I can see this film becoming another cult classic. (When they talk about two hemispheres being separate, I couldn't help but think about "Repo Man.") As for the animation, I found it a bit distracting. I think I would have preferred the use of CGI when it came to the agent suit that continually blends the faces of about 1 million people so that the agent isn't recognized. If you like drug films, then this is a must see. If that's not your bag, then you might have some problems with the film. It's sometimes obtuse and the story a bit convoluted. It's best to sit back and experience the film. It's a drug trip in itself.