A Scanner Darkly: Surprisingly Entertaining
When I saw the previews for A Scanner Darkly I was impressed by the technology involved. I had recently been looking at technology similar to it from adobe for some side projects I was working on, and this immediately caught my eye.
My main fear when I saw the previews was that the movie was just about the technology with no plot to add in the mix. I was very mistaken, and this movie immediately caught me off guard with an engrossing storyline. The cast is filled with name brand actors who have a little counter culture streak to them.
We start the show by immediately being dazzled by the technology. Its animation done by computer based off of real film. A man is on screen who at first seems to have a bug problem, but you quickly realize that the bugs you see are just a part of his imagination as he goes through serious drug issues. This sets the tone for the film. From this point on the movement of the animation and the jitteryness does an excellent job of pulling you into the constant agitation and loopyness of someone on a long drug run.
The actors in this film couldn't have been picked better. Bypassing Keanu Reeves role, because he always seems like that, we get to the real treats of the show. Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, and my favorite of the bunch Robert Downey Jr.
The three male characters all live together and most of the time our attention centers around their interactions. Robert Downey Jr. plays the role of the brainiac druggie. The combination of his intelligence and the drug haze clouding his judgment usually leads to conspiracy theories and plots against them appearing at every turn. Woody Harrelson as the spaced out druggie goes along for the ride on these theories magnifying the apparent gravity of the situation at every turn and provoking action. Keanu, although playing a more reasonable character, usually gets caught up in the situation also until a reasonable mind comes in and destroys the possibility of a plot.
The plot leads down a very familiar path of a downward spiral that is seen in many drug related movies, but it is a fun ride. I found my sides splitting during the times when everyone was together overcoming the latest drug induced crisis, but towards the end I feel they lost it. As the movie progresses the pendulum swings back from humor to sadness and ends on that note.
Overall, if you loved Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, then you need to see this movie. If you hated the way SLC Punk ended on a sour note, you may want to avoid this movie. I personally loved the beginning and would be singing its praises if they had kept up with it rather than trying to take it where the movie ended up.