A Scanner Darkly
Everything is Not Going to be OK
In a futuristic society, "the war on drugs" has essentially been lost. The most dangerous narcotic, Substance D, causes split personalities in people who abuse it. A gifted detective (Keanu Reeves) who gets addicted to the drug while working undercover develops a personality that becomes a dealer, which leads to problems when he is basically assigned to investigate himself.
Based on a Philip K. Dick novel, the film features a cross between live action photography and advanced animation techniques.
Member Reviews
good - zordock
This movie is pretty good, I saw it a few months ago. I would recommend it for anyone who likes movies of this genre. Also, if you like movies from this star actor then you will like it for sure. Anytime I see their movies I feel like it's their best movie yet. Either their best or worst really, but this was probably their best until that most recent one they made. I think it's going to be a close one.. who knows.Faithful adaptation - Gaucho
I'm not sure why, but Philip K Dick's writings usually end up with lambastic, over the top movies bearing the names of his novels. Typically, his novels are about outsiders, social dysfunctionals who has little power over their own reality. And then hollywood gets a hold of them, cast their G-men (Ex. Arnold Swartznegger, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Etc.) and the story somehow turns into a car chase.
Not so with this movie. Linkletter takes this novel-a moody police, Sci-Fi piece about drug addiction-and goes from the 70's crime noir to a bunch of social miscasts. The result: a very funny and faithful rendering of a classic. Although the art sometimes made me sick (motion sickness, that is), it provides an organic layering of storytelling.Realizing you've just been burned - Joe_Pau_Pau
Linklater's work is absorbing to say the least. 'Scanner' takes the druggist's perspective to the extreme with 'rotoscoping' or animating over reality, as a fascinating side bar. The deterioration of Reeve's protagonist, with side splitting comic relief, makes this film a tragic morality play on institutionalized narcotics and state paranoia. The interplay between 'reality' and drugged perspective represented by an undercover narc who becomes his own target is a fascinating metaphor for a plot basis.
Probably the best recommendation is a cast full of stoners (Harrelson, Downey, Reeves) whose dialogue is a scream. The narrative gets a bit long in parts, whose ending one is left to interpret with an obtuse quote. Put all together, this movie stands out, questioning the side effects of suburban disenchantment (what kind of nation can afford to have such a costly epidemic?).
Member Reviews
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good - zordock
This movie is pretty good, I saw it a few months ago. I would recommend it for anyone who likes movies of this genre. Also, if you like movies from this star actor then you will like it for sure. Anytime I see their movies I feel like it's their best movie ...Faithful adaptation - Gaucho
I'm not sure why, but Philip K Dick's writings usually end up with lambastic, over the top movies bearing the names of his novels. Typically, his novels are about outsiders, social dysfunctionals who has little power over their own reality. And then hollywood ...Realizing you've just been burned - Joe_Pau_Pau
Linklater's work is absorbing to say the least. 'Scanner' takes the druggist's perspective to the extreme with 'rotoscoping' or animating over reality, as a fascinating side bar. The deterioration of Reeve's protagonist, with side splitting comic relief, ...