A SCANNER DARKLY: DARK AND TWISTED TALE ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS
A Scanner Darkly is director Richard Linklater’s animated adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel. It is an insider look into the drug world, led by a narcotics officer. The performances are mediocre. The story is slow paced and can be confusing. But the animation brings it to the next level and saves the film.
Fred Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is a narcotics officer for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in Southern California. He and others that work there wear a “Scrambler Suit” in the office that makes them indistinguishable. He is undercover as a drug user trying to work up the ladder through his friends and girlfriend, Donna Hawthorne (Winona Ryder). Jim Barris (Robert Downey Jr.) is a militant conspiracy theorist-is he just strung out or does he have a point? Luckman (Woody Harrelson) is a druggie just along for the ride. And Charles Freck (Rory Cochrane) is on the edge of the point of no return. All with the exception of Donna are addicted to Substance D, or Substance Death.
The novel was written by Philip K. Dick in the 70s. Linklater, a director who makes unique choices for films (Before Sunrise, Dazed and Confused), adapted it for the screen. The movie tends to gravitate towards a slow pace but even that doesn’t help the viewer to follow the plot. The cast isn’t as good as you would hope them to be either. Keanu Reeves is Neo from his Matrix movies as a druggie/undercover cop. Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson seemed to play themselves as if they were on drugs, not very hard to imagine if you know a little bit of their personal life. Their drug induced rantings tend to run too long. The film was shot and then animation was done over it. Post production took over 18 months. Animation made the film even more intense, if possible. And the ending (not to be revealed here) does also redeem the movie, along with the visuals.
Watching this film almost makes you feel as if you are on drugs because it is hard to follow. The story would have played out better if it had been cleaned up a bit. But on the other hand, we find out during the making of the film that the whole cast stated the book is very confusing as well.
Richard Linklater (Waking Life) does his sophomoric animated film with the trippy Dick novel. The movie can be sluggish at times and perplexing at others. Animation is taken to a new level with this movie. The origination balances out the so-so performances.
Report Card:
Story-B
Acting-C
Visuals-A
Originality/Innovation-B+
Enjoyability Grade–B-
Overall Grade-B-
DVD Extras-B
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