Keanu Reeves stars in this eye-catching adaptation of Philip K. Dick's sci-fi novel.
In so many films where such an emphasis is placed on the 'look', that concetration on one aspect of the film directly affects how much concentration goes into other aspects- usually the story itself.
However, even with that damning comment in mind, A Scanner Darkly excels in providing not only visual nourishment, but a treatment of the Philip K Dick novel that leaves the viewer (or at least, this viewer) panting for more.
If nothing, this movie should be watched (and has been, I am sure) purely for the utter genius of the casting- Keanu Reeves' quiet incredulity that he has brought to most of his other films is not at all out of place- almost as if the role has been moulded to suit his character- this manifests itself by a comfortable performance from him in the lead role. Backing him up are such delights as Woody Harrelson pulling off the role of a drug-addled but endearing bum to aplomb, Robert Downey Junior (actually my favourite part of the film as a whole) as a not-entirely-sane evil genius (or idiot, the line is a fine one) and Winon Ryder as either the most pointless person in the piece, or the most important- I shall leave it to you to decide.
In summation, A Scanner Darkly is everything a film adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel should be: cast with an eye for detail, as beautiful as the story and absolutely fantastic. Highly recommended.
Superb adaptation of prolific sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick"s drug fuelled parable about civil liberties, corporate crimes, totalitarianism, addiction and self-censorship. Now even though I'm a Richard Linklater fan ('Before Sunrise', 'Dazed & Confused', 'Before Sunset', 'Tape' and 'Slacker' being some of the finest films ever made), I was never too keen on the digital rotoscope animation process he seems to love so much, for one; it sounded like far too tedious a procedure to ever catch on, and secondly, the final effect reminded me of those 'Sanatogen' vitamin commercials from the 1980s. That said, the rotoscope works much better in 'A Scanner Darkly' than it did in Linklater"s surrealist 2001 effort 'Waking Life'; the quality seems to have improved tenfold in the past five years, thus enhancing the mis-en-scene no end. And in cohesion with the improved SFX, Linklater is one of the few writer/directors who could"ve improved upon his source material in much the same way as the Wachowskis did 'V: For Vendetta'; elaborating on certain themes which are relevant today whilst minimising Dick's lament for the failed revolution of his time.
A well cast Keanu Reeves (giving his usual non-performance) ends up revisiting his Neo and Johnny Utah roles from 'The Matrix' and 'Point Break' respectively, Robert Downey Jr. & Woody Harrelson are on top comedic/paranoid form, and it was great to see Winona Ryder again. 'A Scanner Darkly' was destined to be a cult movie from the second Bob Sabiston set the rotoscope in motion and Rory Cochrane began washing imaginary bugs out of his hair in the unforgettable opening scene. And like those bugs, this picture lingers in the subconscious for its refusal to indulge our delusions, or give the false impression that a movie can do for us what we must do for ourselves. Dialogical structure aside, 'A Scanner Darkly' projects its nightmarish premonition of the near future, in cold, crisp, clear colours, and in many ways, is as important a call for humanity's struggle against the powers that be, as Epstein & Epstein's 'Why We Fight' was a case for World War II. See it...before it sees you.
Linklater returns from the Black vehicle School of Rock to tackle this Dick classic and tackle Dick he does!
Filmed and then 'roto-scoped' to produce a disorientating effect when watching, which works perfectly given the nature of the story.
Great turns from Downey Jr and all concerned really - this is one of the first really good adaptations of Dick's work, at once being faithful to the prose but also making the story come to life with the amazing roto-scope effects (first tested in Linklater's Waking Life).
If you are looking for the next 'Happy Feet', this aint it - if you want to watch something that is enjoyable and thought-provoking, then look no further.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. What does a scanner see? A Scanner Darkly is set in suburban Orange County, California in a future where America has lost the war on drugs. When one reluctant undercover cop is ordered to start spying on his friends, he is launched on a paranoid journey into the absurd, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode. It is a cautionary tale of drug use based on the novel by Philip K. Dick and his own experiences. Like a graphic novel come to life, A Scanner Darkly uses live action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process (interpolated rotoscoping) to create a haunting, highly stylized vision of the future.
Richard Linklater writes and directs this American rotoscoped thriller based on the novel by Philip K. Dick. The war on drugs has been lost, and when a reluctant undercover cop is ordered to spy on those he is closest to, the toll that the mission takes on his sanity is too great to comprehend. Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is a narcotics officer who is issued an order to spy on his friends and report back to headquarters. In addition to being a cop, though, Arctor is also an addict. His drug of choice is a ubiquitous street drug called Substance D, a drug known to cause bizarre hallucinations and produce split personalities in its users. The cast also includes Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrelson and Winona Ryder.
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