A Scanner Darkly Review [2]
Posted by Jonathan Popalis on 07.18.2006
What does a Scanner see? Apparently, not much.
A SCANNER DARKLY
Starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson and Wynona Ryder
Directed by Richard Linklater
Rated R for drug and sexual content, language and a brief violent image.
Runtime: 100 min.
Review by JONATHAN POPALIS
Have you ever been out to dinner with a bunch of people and been forced to listen to that one guy who thinks that he is the epitome of cool? He’s dressed in his exceedingly nouveau fashion, pretentiousness drips from every word that comes out of his mouth, and he tells story after story that are on the grandest of scales but ultimately lead no where. He drones on and on, acting like he’s the most important thing on earth, and you are forced to sit and listen to every word he has to say.
If you have, then you know what it is like to watch the movie A Scanner Darkly.
Based on the novel by Phillip K. Dick, Keanu Reeves plays Bob Arctor, an undercover narcotics agent living in a household full of hippie drug users played by Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson. While living there Arctor becomes addicted to a powerful hypnotic drug known as Substance D, which causes the left and right hemispheres of his brain to function independently, resulting in Arctor not being able to differentiate between the part of him that is the drug user and the part that is the undercover cop.
Admittedly, the visual style of the film is eye popping. After shooting and editing the whole thing, the filmmakers went back and animated over every frame, creating a disturbingly accurate visual representation of the film’s characters. This technique, done along side some beautiful photography and very unique CGI, makes A Scanner Darkly look like one of the most original movies in years. I just wish that some of that attention could have been used towards the story. Instead, director Richard Linklater (who used the same animation technique on his 2001 film Waking Life) seemed to care more about sending the audience on a drug trip then filling them in on what was going on.
Much of that blame though falls on the monotonous and boring hands of Reeves. His co-stars, Harrelson and Downey, give such inspiring performances that it becomes quite depressing when you realize they are basically acting circles around the movie’s protagonist. Moreover, the reams of unending pompous expository voiceover he’s forced to churn out over the same vapid expressionless face we’ve all grown to know so well only further hinder his wooden and lackluster performance. They were trying to create a groundbreaking cinematic piece. They ended up with a disjointed movie that hoped a visual gimmick could hide its obvious flaws.
Apparently the story is based on Phillip K. Dick’s personal experiences with drug abuse. If that is the case then I sympathize with anyone who knew him during that stage of his life. The dinners alone must have been torture.
The 411: What could have been a dark and twisted commentary on drug abuse ends up being a confusing and frustrating allegory about stoners and the pathetic lives they lead. While the supporting cast actually turns in some all-star work, it is ultimately wasted on a movie that’s creativity is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
