A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Dameon Clarke, Heather Kafka, Jason Douglas
Set in a future world where America has lost the war on drugs, an undercover cop, Fred, is one of many agents hooked on the popular drug Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred, for instance, is also Bob, a notorious drug dealer. Along with his superior officers, Fre... (read more) Set in a future world where America has lost the war on drugs, an undercover cop, Fred, is one of many agents hooked on the popular drug Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred, for instance, is also Bob, a notorious drug dealer. Along with his superior officers, Fred sets up an elaborate scheme to catch Bob and tear down his operation.
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R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed by:
Richard Linklater
Release Date: Jul 07, 2006
DVD Release Date: Dec 19, 2006
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Flixster User Reviews
I imagine this is how a movie would look like when you're high on LSD. Not much of a storyline, and hard to follow.
Like the animation used in the film, A Scanner Darkly has a lot more happening than it appears, unfortunately the work itself doesn't do enough to make its intentions or implications known. The movie lacks emotional impact, making us suffer through i... (read more) Like the animation used in the film, A Scanner Darkly has a lot more happening than it appears, unfortunately the work itself doesn't do enough to make its intentions or implications known. The movie lacks emotional impact, making us suffer through it to get at the resonant ideas hidden beneath the squiggly sea of misuse. Of course the animation is the movie's major attractor yet little is done to make it anymore than a horrible distraction. The level of subtle shading given to actor's faces over everything else makes it seem the world is populated by disembodied heads. Meanwhile several of the dialogue scenes don't work as plot development or comedy, despite a strong performance by Downey Jr (while Reeves looks stiff and over-rehearsed even as a floating face). The characters are dull and uninteresting. All this neglects the ideas behind the film, which are the strongest aspect and should have been the centerpiece the whole time. A shame really that such effort was wasted on an annoying, underused, weakness that overshadows the strength. The last fifteen minutes give a far-too-brief glimpse of where the movie should have focused from the start. While Linklater may not have created a good movie, he did make an outstanding argument that Philip K. Dick's work should be read, and perhaps not filmed.
Mimo ciekawej formy, to raczej pustka. TrochÄ reżysera zabrakÅo...o ile Reeves'a można wyreżyserowaÄ.
The style of animation helps make the movie seem like a headtrip, which is key to the subject matter. And there some strong performances from the likes of Robert Downey, Jr and Winona Ryder. However this film doesn't make itself that accessible.
this was okay, not as good as I expected but it had some good stuff about it. interesting concept. i must read the book.
An interesting and unique film based on a P.K. Dick novel. The animation is pretty cool and my problem with the film is mainly that. The story is good and the actors are fine (it's a good cast!) but doing this novel might have been a mistake. I thin... (read more) An interesting and unique film based on a P.K. Dick novel. The animation is pretty cool and my problem with the film is mainly that. The story is good and the actors are fine (it's a good cast!) but doing this novel might have been a mistake. I think a story with more action and fighting sequences might have given the animation a whole new dimention. I really enjoyed some of the scenes though. I think I need to watch this again before deciding on it properly.
Critic Reviews
The first film to capture the author's transience and his art.full review
One of the most disturbing antidrug public service announcements ever produced.full review
A Scanner Darkly is a visually riveting mind-bender inspired by drug-induced experiences.full review
Richard Linklater's squiggly new film, A Scanner Darkly, is an ambitious attempt to find the right visual style to render the experience of drug addiction and the paranoid vision of novelist Philip K. Dick, into a distinctive visual form.full review
This is a movie about losing one's grip and like any addict's story, it's boring, ugly, sad, and terribly human. And surprisingly funny.full review
[A] real-world movie that's essentially been spray-painted, Scanner has turned its back on one of animation's greatest strengths: the playful elasticity that allows characters to stretch and soar in impossible ways.full review
Embedded in the visionary headtrip of A Scanner Darkly is a hotly political call to arms.full review
It's a pity it doesn't have more oomph, because the book is arguably Dick's masterpiece, and as brain-rattling today as when it came out in 1977.full review
The movie probably involves more dialogue and less action than some people will expect; it's about the nature of a life where you can never be sure what or who is real.full review
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