"A Scanner Darkly" (2006)
Directed By: Richard Linklater
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, & Rory Cochrane
MPAA Rating: "R" (for drug and sexual content, language and a brief violent image)
I was immediately intrigued by "A Scanner Darkly" for one reason and one reason only. Its stylish visuals and next generation animation techniques made the movie look very, very cool. After seeing it, I can honestly say that what originally interested me about the movie well, that is all there really is at all. The movie is surprisingly self-indulgent and shockingly, horrendously, mind-numbingly boring. I, literally, found myself staring at the screen, not caring what was happening with the characters. Why? Because, frankly, "A Scanner Darkly" is not a good movie and features unlikable and painfully annoying characters that fail to bring any sympathy from the audience. Though things do pick up in the second half, I was far too disjointed from the movie to care. In all actuality, the movie's only positive point (despite a relatively solid cast) is its ambitious style and interesting animation style. But, excellent visuals do not make a movie good. Beauty, after all, is only skin deep.
Bob Arctor (Reeves) is an undercover narcotics agent leading a very complex double life. He reports to his superiors, yet lives his life as a "Substance D" user and dealer. His life, filled with a colorful cast of characters, becomes shockingly confusing and very whacky. This plot is very similar to a 100-minute acid trip. I suppose that maybe, to get the full effect of the movie, you need to be drugged out of your mind because, honestly, all of the characters are. I don't do drugs and I'm not about to try them just to enjoy a movie. "A Scanner Darkly" and its dull plot are just not entertaining at all. Couple that with some of the most annoying characters of the year and you have a truly bad movie. "A Scanner Darkly" is, unfortunately, a strike-out.
The performances in this movie are hard for me to analyze, because the characters are written to be so dull and bothersome. I would say that Keanu Reeves gave a subdued performance, making his character far less annoying than the others (in fact, his was the only character I gave two cents about) but Reeves always underplays it. He hardly ever really pops out of the screen. Robert Downey Jr. is funny for a time and then he just becomes irritating. It worked partially, I suppose. Woody Harrelson overacted his way all over the place, doing everything but back flips to garner audience attention. The same goes for Rory Cochrane, except twice as bad. Twenty minutes in, I was praying that he would step out into heavy traffic and end the misery that his over-the-top performance was causing me. Winona Ryder, like Reeves, underplayed it. She was definitely right for the part and I respected her performance. As this movie is slightly animated, I must note that I cannot be sure how much of the actors' performances were them and how much were the animation. I felt that I should make that clear, before continuing.
Frankly put, I did not like this movie. "A Scanner Darkly" is not my cup of tea. It may be for some people and it clearly is, because I am in the minority by not liking it. However, it is not without its positives. The animation style is intriguing and ultimately beautiful. It gives the movie an original feeling. Richard Linklater's direction also works very well. That isn't very surprising. He's a wonderful director. "A Scanner Darkly" is based on Philip K. Dick's personal drug experiences (?) and the most touching, intimate, and realistic part of the entire movie is the dedication to all of his comrades who were killed or were permanently disabled by their addictions. When reading the list of names and the final message, I almost desired to watch "A Scanner Darkly" again in hopes of finding some heart buried beneath the pretentious exterior but, alas, there was none. The only part of the movie that expressed any genuine thought or care was the dedication and, unfortunately, that wasn't enough.
Final Thought: Though visually-stunning, "A Scanner Darkly" is ultimately a disappointing, boring film.
Overall Rating: 3/10 (C)
Directed By: Richard Linklater
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, & Rory Cochrane
MPAA Rating: "R" (for drug and sexual content, language and a brief violent image)
I was immediately intrigued by "A Scanner Darkly" for one reason and one reason only. Its stylish visuals and next generation animation techniques made the movie look very, very cool. After seeing it, I can honestly say that what originally interested me about the movie well, that is all there really is at all. The movie is surprisingly self-indulgent and shockingly, horrendously, mind-numbingly boring. I, literally, found myself staring at the screen, not caring what was happening with the characters. Why? Because, frankly, "A Scanner Darkly" is not a good movie and features unlikable and painfully annoying characters that fail to bring any sympathy from the audience. Though things do pick up in the second half, I was far too disjointed from the movie to care. In all actuality, the movie's only positive point (despite a relatively solid cast) is its ambitious style and interesting animation style. But, excellent visuals do not make a movie good. Beauty, after all, is only skin deep.
Bob Arctor (Reeves) is an undercover narcotics agent leading a very complex double life. He reports to his superiors, yet lives his life as a "Substance D" user and dealer. His life, filled with a colorful cast of characters, becomes shockingly confusing and very whacky. This plot is very similar to a 100-minute acid trip. I suppose that maybe, to get the full effect of the movie, you need to be drugged out of your mind because, honestly, all of the characters are. I don't do drugs and I'm not about to try them just to enjoy a movie. "A Scanner Darkly" and its dull plot are just not entertaining at all. Couple that with some of the most annoying characters of the year and you have a truly bad movie. "A Scanner Darkly" is, unfortunately, a strike-out.
The performances in this movie are hard for me to analyze, because the characters are written to be so dull and bothersome. I would say that Keanu Reeves gave a subdued performance, making his character far less annoying than the others (in fact, his was the only character I gave two cents about) but Reeves always underplays it. He hardly ever really pops out of the screen. Robert Downey Jr. is funny for a time and then he just becomes irritating. It worked partially, I suppose. Woody Harrelson overacted his way all over the place, doing everything but back flips to garner audience attention. The same goes for Rory Cochrane, except twice as bad. Twenty minutes in, I was praying that he would step out into heavy traffic and end the misery that his over-the-top performance was causing me. Winona Ryder, like Reeves, underplayed it. She was definitely right for the part and I respected her performance. As this movie is slightly animated, I must note that I cannot be sure how much of the actors' performances were them and how much were the animation. I felt that I should make that clear, before continuing.
Frankly put, I did not like this movie. "A Scanner Darkly" is not my cup of tea. It may be for some people and it clearly is, because I am in the minority by not liking it. However, it is not without its positives. The animation style is intriguing and ultimately beautiful. It gives the movie an original feeling. Richard Linklater's direction also works very well. That isn't very surprising. He's a wonderful director. "A Scanner Darkly" is based on Philip K. Dick's personal drug experiences (?) and the most touching, intimate, and realistic part of the entire movie is the dedication to all of his comrades who were killed or were permanently disabled by their addictions. When reading the list of names and the final message, I almost desired to watch "A Scanner Darkly" again in hopes of finding some heart buried beneath the pretentious exterior but, alas, there was none. The only part of the movie that expressed any genuine thought or care was the dedication and, unfortunately, that wasn't enough.
Final Thought: Though visually-stunning, "A Scanner Darkly" is ultimately a disappointing, boring film.
Overall Rating: 3/10 (C)