A Scanner Darkly




Posted by Klarth

So I watched this last night, as soon as the first torrents cropped up. I *would* have gone to the cinema on release day, but it seems that Warner are reluctant to release it over here. Dicks.

The first thing that struck me was the visual style - it's like watching a cel-shaded film. Rotoscoping really is beautiful. The second thing that grabbed my attention was the fact that all the dialogue was utterly intact! I remembered every single scene from the book, apart from a few minor discrepancies...

- The part in the beginning where the speaker is talking about all the 9/11 bullshit and going on about how our children's children have to inherit America beneath a waving flag and a crying eagle and cornfields and God bless America and all. That wasn't in the book, and it annoyed the **** out of me.
- The part towards the end where it's revealed that [spoiler]Fred's scrambled colleague has actually been Donna all along[/spoiler]. Waaaay too premature, it was meant to be revealed at the fast food place scene shortly afterwards - Then again, I suppose they have to make it simpler for people who haven't read the book and the 99% of people bound to be totally lost by this film.

Overall this movie was very funny when it needed to be and very faithful to its source - It really blows Paycheck and Minority Report straight out of the water, and I'd say it's easily on par with Blade Runner.

9/10.




Posted by Corrupt

I've been wanting to see this movie for quite some time, and judging by your post, if it is in fact up there with Blade Runner, there's not a chance in hell I won't enjoy it. I'm looking forward to this.




Posted by Shin-Ra

I hope to see this movie sometime this week. I've been trying to get people to go with me, but everyone's either broke or not interested in this film. My conclusion: they suck, and this film will be wonderful. This review makes me want to see it more.




Posted by Vampiro V. Empire

It's, of course, no where around me in theaters. So I'm probably going to download it tonight. I've wanted to see this movie for a loooong time. Good thing it turned out as well as expected.




Posted by Crazy K

I myself will probably have to download it. It truly looks like an awesome film.




Posted by Dexter

Watched it. Great film, but I still prefer Waking Life. The visual style is certainly more polished in A Scanner Darkly, but the conversations and theme of Waking Life are superior. I hope Richard continues to make films with this visual style.

Did everyone get to see it? Was it as good as you hoped?




Posted by Bebop

Just finished reading the book!

I really wanted to see it but Im going to have to see the DVD. Looks very good. The difference between the book and film are few but significent.

The identity of Hank is never revealed in the book, and a chapter where Bob goes to New Path looking for a suspect is not in the film which I think is important because you see New path earlier on.




Posted by Crazy K

I like the book better then the movie. After reading the book, I have gotten a new respect for the film. I might re watch it as soon as I can.




Posted by Bebop

As a fan of the book I was very eager to see this. I was disappointed. I still enjoyed it but it could have been so much more. I may be nit picking, and it's pretty dumb to assume every part of a book will make it into the film but here are my biggest problems with it.

-There wasnt enough tension built up between Bob and Barris. Bob wasnt sick in the car which I thought was a big development in his trust in Barris. Same goes for Barris accepting Bob's phone calls. It made Bob's paranoia and mistrust of Barris seem to be just down to Substance D rather than have any actual evidence too it which was found in the book. Barris simply wasnt as menacing or in any way as big a threat in the book as he was in the film. So it made it seem unnessecary for the police to be after Barris in the first place. Meh.

-Important conversations were cut short or remvoed all together. The dog**** thing for one and also the bike story. It was never completed or refrenced back to again like in the book. The signifience in that story was gone and watching it was pointless.

-Donna didnt seem to be as important as she was in the book. I agree with Klarth on this one.

-New Path. I felt when Bob vistied New Path early on in the book it gave the impression that being a Substance D user was easier and better in that society than trying to get off it, especially in the surroudnings of New Path. Also I was expecting more time in New Path with Bruce. I was expecting to see more of te harsh bizzare insane treatments at New Path with Bruce so the audience could have something to suspect before their suspicions were finally confirmed. So when the 'twist' came into play it wasnt a big deal because the audience didnt really have any need to consider New Path or it's importance or lack of importance. It seemed to be forgotten about. It became irrelevant.

-Reeves in New Path. When I read the book I imagined Bruce acting like a slow child. Like a vegetable. Innocent and being taking advantage off. Of course this is what was happening what Reeve's perfromance really didnt do this an justice. I imagined a larger character switch due to the treatment at New Path but Keanu seemed to be just the same as he was earlier in the film. Or the same he is in every other film.

I enjoyed the film but it certainly wasnt the great book to film adaption I thought it was going to be. It was so capable of being much more and I was unfortuantely disappointed. I think A Scanner Darkly is something best read than watched.




Posted by BLUNTMASTER X


Quoting Bebop: -Important conversations were cut short or remvoed all together. The dog**** thing for one and also the bike story. It was never completed or refrenced back to again like in the book. The signifience in that story was gone and watching it was pointless.
The bike story confused me too, as it had no relation to anything, apart from being the introduction of Luckman. They didn't even bother to point out the whole confusion about the gears.

[QUOTE=Bebop;525818]-Donna didnt seem to be as important as she was in the book. I agree with Klarth on this one.


Thirded. Donna done nothing much, and there were a couple of contradictions in her character.

Overall, though, it wasn't quite as disappointing as you make it out to be. I felt it was probably the most faithful adaptation of a novel that I've seen. If you haven't read the book, you wouldn't follow A Scanner at all. The visual style was awesome, Rob Downey was a fantastic Barris, and the Freck suicide scene was pure gold. The ending was rushed, no doubt, but every scene that was adapted in the film was pretty much a perfect copy.



Posted by boomstick

I enjoyed the film quite a bit, I've never read the book so I don't know how much the differences are apart from the two. Either way, very good and intelligent film, I'm gonna have to check out the book now.




Posted by Bebop

The differences are quite few but significent. In the book you never learn Hank's identity. Also there are 2 characters in the book, one called Jerry Fabin who sees bugs everywhere and the other called Charles Freck who commits suicide, who were melded into one.

I was talking about this film with friends the other day. As much as I loved the acting, casing, style and rotoscopping it's like the directer was only bothered about recreating the conversations than actually tellin the story.