Mr. Movie reviews: Scanner Darkly

If you have a problem with truck size plot holes then you may dislike “Scanner Darkly.” Most people who are not looking for an opportunity to see this film will point to the animation style. The Schwab ads, that ape Richard Linklater’s “Waking Life” rotoscope technique are a major annoyance. There are people out there going, “Oh no I hate that shit.” "Scanner Darkly" is better than those ads. The Schwab ads are more like a photo-shop filter. “Scanner Darkly” is animated. The lines have interpretive value, thick and thin variations, things kind of slide around in the frame adding a druggy mood. The Schwab ads also suffer from this put-on anger, loser frat-boy proto-fascist anger.

There are animated bugs and good editing, I loved the way that the sets kind of swam around, this is an animated film. Keanu Reeves is alternately Bob, Fred, and Bruce an undercover cop who very quickly loses sight of himself in his drug use and the total infiltration of surveillance that his life has become. Much of the film is spending time with Bob/Fred/Bruce’s subjects as they clown around stoned. You very quickly begin to wonder how these fools could require this level of surveillance. Don’t worry though; the movie will explain it for you. This is an American film after all, god forbid their should be something vague in an American Film.

The film is very much a trip. The film often makes use of dream logic, One moment we are at HQ with Fred and then the next moment we are on a road trip to San Diego. The characters also often suffer from that uncertainty in what you know, that you may or may not be familiar with. These aspects of the film are used to skirt or create the gaping plot holes. So are they plot holes or part of the effect?

I enjoyed it.