A Scanner Darkly [2006]

This film starring Keanu Reeves is a complex film, that is filmed in a different style which is called 'rotoscoping'. The cartoon effect is created by layering animation over normal filming to generate a distinctive look that has been around for quite some time.

The films plot put simply, is set in the future and is about the world and how drugs have taken over society, specifically a drug called Substance-D. The main character, Reeves is the character Bob Arcter who is in a gang addicted to this drug, and is also an undercover police officer Fred who is trying to find out who the main dealers and distributors are of the drug. The officers wear a suit making them unknown to anyone, and Fred has to take footage from his dingy home to catch users.

The movie itself is very different to anything I've ever seen before, and could be classed as a sci-fi and the fact that the film is done using rotoscoping adds to the film tone of voice which is drugs, and seems to give the image of actually being on drugs. One of the films main concepts is the suit that officer Fred wears, and is a suit that is able to shift around faces and clothing at a second a clip, and could not be captured without animation. The images fit perfectly for the storyline of the film, creating an overall tone of voice that is completely new and would not have worked with other films.

When I watched this film, I got the look of Sin City which experiments with camera style and uses different techniques to emphasise the storyline. I also noticed that in the movie A Scanner Darkly, there are no real action sequences, no gun fights, car chases or explosions which not be every ones ideal film. The film got me thinking about society and the drug generation, and how the world make actually become something similar to that of this movie, where the majority of people are addicted to drugs.

Overall, I think this movie is worth watching to see the rotoscoping technique in use, and the quirky storyline with some interesting dialogue, but may not be every ones ideal film.