Although this movie did receive a lot of
publicity, very few people have actually seen or heard about
it. I was fortunate enough to experience Waking Life in my
town theatre. The only way to see it on the big screen is to
find a theatre that plays independent films. What makes this
movie interesting is that it was shot with normal actors,
and was then animated over. The effect is very surreal, with
the scenery in the background constantly altering and the
facial expressions of the actors accented and exaggerated
through animation. Another interesting aspect is the subject
matter of the film. Instead of having the basic plot and
character development, the film follows one character, who
we learn relatively little about, and acts like a
documentary. The scenes shift between the main character and
whoever he is interviewing. With each person he talks to,
new ideas about life, and dreams, enter the story. In a
sense, this film is more of a documentary on the world of
dreams, and so the surreal aspect that the animation
provides is fitting and makes the dream world more
believable. Written and directed by Richard Linklater, this
film also features a pretty unknown cast, with many actors
that I have never heard of or seen before. This is
definitely a movie to see if you have the time to sit and
think about it. Top.