A SCANNER DARKLY |
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In late June of this year I had the pleasure of being invited to an early press screening of A SCANNER DARKLY in downtown Chicago to review the film. I was unsure what to expect of the film to be brutally frank. It had a cast of actors who have been known to have a series of drug related and substance abuse problems. It was using rotoscoping by Richard Linklater, much like his 2001 animated fare WALKING LIFE. Rotoscoping is where the film is shot in live-action, and then traced over by animation artists. They do this frame by frame and is a painstakingly long and grueling process. But the final product is a surreal, animated, and realistic look. It was getting a limited release, despite actors like Robert Downey Jr., Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, and Woody Harrelson.
I ended up giving the film 3 and a half stars out of 5 and admired the look of the film as a journey into the confusion, paranoia, and oddness of drug use and praised the duo performance of Harrelson and Downey. I thought it was a flawed film as it could have been made a little clearer to magnify the experience, but I thought it was an interesting exercise in film-making. In a multiplex world of pirates, X-MEN, and superheroes, it was a breath of fresh air.
After the film I asked myself could animated films be used for dramas, thrillers, and even horror films?
For the most part animated films are used for a good laugh, to introduce new and neat 
IN HER SHOES in animation? |
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animation, and have a good time. Sometimes just seeing the cartoon face of a car, fish, or lion is enough to make you laugh. It's a good avenue for parents to take their kids to the movies, keep them quiet, and maybe even have the parents enjoy the film. The maniac and fast paced cartoons, mixed with the self-referential pop humor keeps parents and kids pleased. This has been done to death with MADAGASCAR, SHREK, OVER THE EDGE and a good chunk of animated films. It's a successful formula.
You obviously can't take your kids to see about half of the films that come out these days. Lord knows your 8 year old can't handle HOSTEL. I'm 21 and I'm not sure I can handle HOSTEL. But films such as FAILURE TO LAUNCH, JUST MY LUCK, and LITTLE MAN might be more traumatizing to them then any horror film can provide. Animated films are safe for the kids. Parents can relax when their children see it. Don't have to worry about a breast popping out, or a four letter word.
But why are animated films just relegated to light fare? I think without the animated aspect of SCANNER DARKLY, it's just another drug genre film.
You have anime which is often used, but nothing on a big scale theatrical wise for animation. Would it work?
Imagine a drama like IN HER SHOES done in animation. Would it have the same effect? Would it be too comical due to the animation aspect? Would it add something different to it?
I look at it 
SIN CITY |
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two ways.
With 300-400 films coming out a year, and a good portion of them done with real actors standarly playing characters, it eventually gets tedious and tiresome. You can only see the same screen, same people, and same storyline so many times. Interesting camera tricks are used, and techniques, but it's essentially films done the same way by the same people. With animation, as shown in SIN CITY, and now A SCANNER DARKLY, it's a whole new adventure. It's unique, mystifying, and makes the film different then a standard movie.
But with animation, you can't get a lot of the depth, complexity, and nuances of actors. You need to see their real face to see either their happiness, sadness, or thoughtfulness. With animation, it comes off unintentionally funny or does not hit the notes the actor hoped to get across with his face. Since the animation is doing the job, they are just providing the voice. So while it has it's ups with eccentric films like A SCANNER DARKLY AND SIN CITY, on a more serious film, it might not have the same effect.
With Hollywood trying everything and anything nowadays, I would not be surprised to see more horror, drama, or thrillers done with animation or animated like techniques. But I leave the question to you movie fans and readers of my columns: Could animation be done for those genres and be successful? Would you pay to see a film with that? Looking forward to your responses.
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Expect the unexpected from Tony as he'll give you his columns on the way movies used to be, the way movies are, and the way they should be.
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| Tony Farinella |
Tony is an Oak Lawn, IL based film reviewer and columnist looking to have fun and share his unique views on film with everyone. Tony also has an unhealthy obsession with Vanessa Lengies, but that is neither here nor there.
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