a.scanner.darkly.

nobody@vox.com(.tiff) — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 02:21:48 -0700

Tonight I saw the much anticipated fim A Scanner Darkly. I think I need to see it again to truly rationalize my final decision, but I'll give it a 6.8/10 for the time being. Unfortunately as one would expect, Keanu Reeves' acting is as one dimensional as the flat colors that align to form his face in his animated form. The story is interesting both as a science fiction tale and as a metaphor for the domestic effect of experimental drug use, however I rarely felt like I was firmly on the same page with the characters or the plot. Perhaps this was the overarching intention, but in that case it didn't translate as clear as I would have wanted.

The animation however is pretty fantastic for the first hour or so. One becomes a little adjusted to the style á la Waking Life after a period of time, but I think they did a fantastic job taking advantage of the animated style, truly evoking a wonderfully disorienting mediated world. Robert Downey Jr. plays his part almost too well. He was wildly entertaining, and his performance was the only thing that really kept me on my feet. Officially, his character, Baris, is my new favorite substance-d-drug-addict-of-the-near-future to date!

Edit: I saw it again yesterday evening and while Keanu Reeves still fails to perform, the movie in general was more enjoyable. Maybe it was because I wasn't being so critical while I was watching the second time around, but I also tried to take it in at its face value and became more captivated, particularly by the conversation scenes between the men. So, while I personally don't think it's an entirely stellar movie all together, it is a good watch. Just don't expect anything profound (as one may have encountered in Waking Life)

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