A Scanner Darkly
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Movie Reviews of A Scanner Darkly
Movie Review: BACHELOR FLICK NONPAREIL
Summary: 5 Stars
Plenty has been written in these reviews about the cautionary aspects of this tale, the dystopian angle, the position of the text and film in PKD's own literary universe, the complexity of the plot, and so forth. In this regard, i recommend you scroll down to the review by "mirasreviews" which is pretty informative.
This movie is a dark comedy. Very dark, but with hilarity and exuberance mixed with tragedy. In my mind, it is favorably comparable to "The Big Lebowski." In fact, it is rather like if The Dude, Walter and Donny just took drugs and stayed home all day instead of going bowling.
Just as The Dude gets mixed up in some nefarious criminality that eventually is shown to not have occurred, Bob Arctor is investigating people who never did anything major, eventually himself. As The Dude is a victim of mistaken identity, Arctor assumes an identity which turns out to be a big mistake, for he is victimized by it.
The dialogue between the 3 main characters of this film, supported by the amazing ensemble alchemy of Reeves, Downey and Harrelson (although, obviously if you put Downy and Harrelson together in a room it is going to be delightfully strange,) is PRICELESS. If you are one of those people who can watch "The Big Lebowski" over and over, then you are ready for this movie! Eminently quotable.
Similarly, viewers tends to immensely enjoy or rather dislike both movies. This may be partly due to the fact that you have to relate to the ageing bachelor syndrome, or it will just seem like a bunch of slobs getting nothing done.
About the animation: this is by the same "dude" that created "Waking Life." One of the great things about it is that it gives the entire movie a look that is somewhat typical of midlevel tripping. it also lends believability to the marvelous "scramblesuit" which would look lame against live action. frankly, i kept getting so drawn into the acting and story (the film was shot live and animated over later,) that i forgot i was watching animation. if you have a predispositional dislike of anything animated, even a very adult and well acted movie like this, then don't get it. i think it is a superb work of art and knowing that something like 600 people-hours of animation work went into every minute of the movie is astounding!
By the way: i lived in the same apartment in Santa Cruz, California, for 16 years and can testify to the fact that oddballs like these guys actually exist
Movie Review: Scramble Suit...how about scramble brain?
Summary: 5 Stars
The best advice I can give you before watching this movie is to clear your mind of any ideas of what you might think 'A Scanner Darkly' is about, because more than likely your going to get lost. The movie was filmed just like any other movie would have been, and than dubbed over with animation making the film look like a comic book come to life.
Keanu Reeves brilliantly plays three characters in this film. First you come to know him as Fred, an undercover agent who is investigating a drug epidemic of substance "D", trying to find the main source who is distributing this highly addictive, mind altering & damaging substance. As his second character, Bob Arctor, he plays along as a druggie who hangs out with a group of other low-life addicts to blend in, in hopes of finding a lead to the distributor, but slowly becomes an addict himself without really realizing it. The third character I will not tell you about, it'll ruin the movie for those of you who have not seen it.
Robert Downey Jr. is my absolute favorite character in this movie playing the highly intelligent, corky, hilarious, very expressional James Barris who is one of the addicts whom Arctor is spying on. Why more people didn't praise his performance for this movie is beyond me. You just can't help but laugh at his very comical facial expressions.
Woody Harrelson plays as Ernie Luckman, who is kind of the laid back follower of the drug scene group. When he and Barris end up together they make a real funny pair, almost like two brothers always fighting with each other and picking on each other.
Winona Ryder's character, Donna Hawthorne is Bob Arctor's girlfriend...kind of, she plays a very distant one never allowing Bob to hold her or really touch her sexually, her excuse? A bad habit of cocaine. But there is more to Donna than meets the eye, and that's for you to watch and find out.
Rory Cochrane plays a great tweak-er by the name of Charles Frek, or just Frek who is paranoid about everything around him, constantly twitching, scratching and looking over his shoulder.
Everyone will perceive different concepts from this film. Some of you will find it sad, funny, suspenseful, confusing, or just dull if you don't get it. I say watch it a least a couple times thoroughly before making any judgments on it.
Movie Review: Movie was mostly true to the spirit of the book.
Summary: 5 Stars
As a long time fan of Phillip K Dick, I was very pleased my this movie. The biggest reason I liked this movie was that this movie was mostly true to the spirit of the book. A scanner darkly is a cult classic among PKD fans. Man in high castle, Scanner Darkly, and Ubik are notable PKD classics that came to mind. This is possibly the first major full length book of PKD work to be brought to film that is considered a winner in the print form as well. For eg Total recall, Minority report, Blade runner (Do androids dream of electic sheep), pay check...all of these were actually short stories. Minority report and blade runner being good adaptations. Scanner Darkly is a whole novel so there was already lot of source material from the book. Hollywood did not have to add padding to a short story to make it into a movie.
The rotoscopic animation works. It took like months to shoot the real movie and then 18 months to animate. Lof of time and manhours. It took them like 300 manhours to get a minute of animation. This animation works. But I wonder would the movie have been a better and bigger hit had it been made a proper movie. Like it would have had this blade runner cult feel to it. It might have gone down as a classic. Animation allows a lot to be done and possibly from a budget perspective, it may be more sound financially to do the animation rather than do cgi effects for a real life movie, but I can't help but feel that it might have gone down as a real cult film.
That being said, the animation is real cool. They basically drew it over the real life images. So basically they had a full length movie which they shot and then drew over each frame. It's kind of like undoing the fim or doing 2 films back to back, first in reel and then on the computer. The special features has a "making of" which features the rehearsels and script reads of the actors. It focuses more the real shooting. And then there is a section on the "animiation" behind the movie which feature a 50 member animation crew and interviews with line drawing lead, the graphics artists, the story board artists, animation guys from video game projects, etc. Movie and feature is good. This movie gets a recommendation for a rent for a lay man and a buy recommendation for a PKD fan who is in awe of his SF books.
regards, Vikram
Movie Review: Substantially paranoid
Summary: 5 Stars
Dick filtered rather than filletted, and all the better for it.The illusion of rotoscoping layed over the delusional paranoid perceptions of it's main characters. Dick finally gets the treatment he deserves. A highly manufactured artefact: after filming it took 18 months to animate. The excellent acting shines through the well drawn craftsmanship.The surveillance society with the lubrication of paranoia fuelled the machine of Nixon's America, which Dick(whose home had been broken into and papers taken)was the subject of, often high on amphetamines. The loss of civil liberties can be updated to our own times to protect us from terrorism.
Truth becomes relative and multiperspectival. We see the collapse of identity and brain cells under the onslaught of substance D. This layered tapestry depicts the tragi-comedy of drug-fuelled psychosis, set subtly in the future. As with Carlos Casteneda's story it teaches us to hold firmly onto our objectivism less hands mouth teeth eyes mind go up in smoke. Do the scanners see into our hearts or into our heads Keanu Reaves' character asks. The unity of embodied intelligence is seen through a glass darkly and fractures into a million trips. Science fiction turned inwards was far more what Dick was about(forget Blade Runner, Total Recall & Minority Report). This film has far more in common with Gilliam's Fear & Loathing and Naked Lunch. See it on the big screen for the best effect. They've made films out of graphic comics and novels. Now a sci-fi novel has been transformed into a graphic animation. Welcome to the future.
Of course if you've read the book you will also realize that the Newpath project which manufactures and distributes the all-pervasive Substance-D are trying to destroy people's identities so they can manipulate the whole population. The film brings out how the police are not aware of the higher up honchos intentions, hence the use of the scramble suit to deceive one level of authority by another. At the end the sobered up Reeves' character is sublininally aware when he sees the blue flowers of substance D spread out in the rows of corn that what is truly happening is far beyond what anyone could ever believe. He saves a blue flower in his boot to show his friends.
Movie Review: Unique and Beautiful, A Scanner Darlkly will give you an experience you may never have again
Summary: 5 Stars
A Scanner Darkly first caught my eye when I first saw it's trailer. The unusual visuals and amazing cast immediately grabbed my attention. I had never heard of the Phillip K. Dick novel, although the premise suggested in the trailer sounded unique and very cool. Very soon I read the book, and it amazed me how good it was. I waited in excitement and hope for the movie to be released in theaters. When it was, I was not in the least bit disappointed.
The story is pretty complex. Seven years from now, we've lost the drug war. Everything you do is recorded, as well as documented. There is no escape from the government that is trying to save you. Roaming the streets is a very dangerous drug known as, Substance D. The story follows a group of drugged out friends who have been corroded by paranoia and danger. Unknown to the rest of them, their close friend, Bob Arctor, is actually an undercover narcotics officer. As the story progresses, the use of substance D begins to take it's toll on him. His undercover role as a their friend and his role as a narc begin to seperate into two different personalities. He then begins to struggle with his own fate.
First off I'd like to say that this movie is the most beautiful film I've ever seen. The process of rotoscoping, which was also used in Linklater's "Waking Life", is truly amazing. The visual perception that this process gives you is very impressive. It really adds to the effect of the movie. The movie is worth seeing just for that.
The screenplay is very well done, allowing for a wonderful adaptation of the book. One thing that stands out in this movie is the cast: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder. It's an amazing ensemble of actors that fit their roles maybe a bit too well. Reeves easily gives the best performance as the undercover narcotics officer who is beginning to fall apart. His performance is powerful and moving, easily his best so far.
In the end, A Scanner Darkly could have many different effects on you. You could be moved, depressed, confused, or even happy. Whatever the effect is on you, you should definitely check out this movie.