A Scanner Darkly
Director: Richard Linklater
Year Released: 2006
Rating: 1.0
Without the trippy - and gimmicky - "rotoscoped" visuals, this mediocre adaptation of the Philip K. Dick story is literally much about little. The anti-government, anti-drug angle is familiar - there's this mysterious Substance D that has everyone hooked, including Narc-turned-junkie Keanu Reeves (a lot like Jason Patric in Rush) - and I never thought I'd say this, but I found Robert Downey Jr.'s snarky chatterbox and Rory Cochrane's crooked-mouthed addict to be insufferable. The razzle-dazzle of Waking Life only added to the transcendental air and directorial whimsy - here, it's a clever distraction (although necessary for the 'camouflage suits').
