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Reviews
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
An Excellent representation of a great piece of work.
This film, A Scanner Darkly, is an amazing film that captivates audiences to their very soul, feeding off the emotions of people, knowing that they are going to enter this movie and see something like they've never seen before.
This is the film version of the novel of the same name by Philip K Dick, who also wrote the short stories that inspired Minority Report, Paycheck, and Total Recall, as well as the novel that inspired Bladerunner. That being said, though, this is the most true adaptation of Dick's work, as it follows the book very clearly, giving as accurate a portrayal of drugs and their affects as the book, which was autobiographical fiction, did.
The film circulates around Keanu Reeves' character Bob Arctor, a cop who is also a user for the drug Substance-D, which a large percentage of the country is hooked on. He lives with rambunctious characters, such as Barris (Robert Downy Jr.), Luckman (Woody Harrelson), and Freck (Rory Cochrane). Arctor buys his drugs from a woman he knows, Donna (Wynona Ryder), who he seems to have interest in. Things heat up as the plot gets underway, and it's all downhill after that.
Bob Arctor, or Fred, as he's called for his police codename, eventually finds out that he is to narc on himself. He wears a special suit called a scramble suit to hide himself from the people he works with, for he works deeply undercover. The suit is ever-changing, and even the ever-watching scanners could not figure out who you were, were you wearing one.
The film is a masterpiece from writer/director Richard Linklater (Waking Life, Dazed and Confused), whose use for the Rotoscope animation technique, like its use on Waking Life, gives an eerie falsity to the images it gives off. It's definitely surreal.
All in all, this film is a triumph from a director who can seem to do no wrong. The same goes for all of the performers. Their work inspires many would be actors to the business. It is a fabulous film.
Beat the Devil (2002)
Crazy little film...
This film is pretty crazy. Of the many BMW films, this one has to be the most odd, yet interesting of them all.
The film stars Clive Owen (Sin City, Closer) as the Driver (a guy who drives people around in a BMW), Gary Oldman (True Romance, Batman Begins), as the Devil himself, and James Brown (the King of Soul) as, well, himself.
James Brown has a contract with the Devil, in which he has sold his soul for fame and fortune, but, alas, he did not put in a clause about Aging. So, without his moves, he can no longer be famous. He wants to renegotiate his contract so that he is younger so he can still preform, and Clive Owen is caught in the middle of it all. James Brown bets that he can beat the devil in a race, and, if he does, he will receive his youth.
This short is directed by Tony Scott (Domino, Top Gun), in his newer style, much like that of Domino and Man on Fire. The quick paced-ness makes the short immensely fun to watch and exciting to look at. The vibrancy of the colors and style of the characters adds a richness to a great story.
Part of the BMW line of shorts films, each with a different director, this one stands out as amazing and shocking at the same time. You wouldn't expect a film about a car to be this insane.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Who couldn't like it?
This movie is definitely an amazing piece of cinema. Robert Rodriguez is quite the masterful film maker, creating such visually intoxicating images that soak you up and take you inside the film.
The movie is the third installment of the Mariachi series, a series started by Rodriguez back in 92 with his first film's release, El Mariachi. This installment tells the story of El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) and an epic tale of Coup DE tat in in a state in Mexico.
The film is set up in a way like the films after it, Crash and Love Actually. It's many supporting stars that make up quite the bulk of the film. They include Johnny Depp as a CIA agent run amok, Salma Hayek as El's wife, Willem Dafoe as a Mexican drug-dealing Kingpin, and Ruben Blades as a former FBI agent seeking a kind of revenge.
The film was shot on the new Sony High Definition cameras. The film's look is unmatched by any, and the colors are spectacular and beautiful. The edits are quick and make the story's speed quick paced, even during the dialog scenes.
The scenes are spectacular, the dialog is treasurable, and the acting is more than favorable. If there was ever a reason to dislike this film, I couldn't find it.