Recensioni degli utenti

Waking Life is among a handful of films (Woyzeck, Magnolia, The Passion of Anna) that really frustrate me, because as much as I love them I can't necessarily recommend them to everyone. There are certain films for which one needs to be on a certain wavelength to enjoy, no matter how cultured or intelligent. This film is best for those who have sat around thinking about the big questions in life for long periods of time, dying for someone to talk to about them. I guess Waking Life isn't about those questions so much as it's about the people who are asking them, the wonderers, the thinkers, and especially the dreamers. For those who can appreciate it, it's a cleansing experience, one of a purity and beauty that has no equal in the films I've been fortunate enough to see.

It is rare for a director to return to a film and improve it but Linklater does it here. Taking the general form of Slackers, he adds a metaphysical story line and coats it with extraordinary eye candy.

The rotoscoping really provides an acid trip experience of constantly shifting planes with backgrounds going one way and characters going the other.

The string quartet tango score also is an excellent use of music to reinforce the exotic aspects of the production.

The monologues are thought provoking and compelling. The story line examining dream/death connection is novel. Score points for originality of story, art direction and narrative line. Some quite funny parts (e.g. boat car, bar shoot out, etc.), some creepy parts (e.g. jailbird rant, second boat man meeting, etc.).

I have seen this several times and enjoyed it every time. Farily rare is the movie that can really stand up to multiple viewings. This is one.

Very refreshing. See it.

There are only a handful of films that have evoked a WOW!! Reaction out of me and Waking Life is on that short list. It is a stunning experience for both the eyes and mind. Apart from two scenes it is a very positive film, which makes those two scenes out of place. The rotoscoped animation varies from sequence to sequence and some might find it (especially if they have issues with motion sickness) a little uneasy to watch. I was more absorbed in the topics of conversation and ideas that are rich throughout the film. Some may find the lack of a linear story or any sort of resolution a little frustrating but I think it would have diminished the film greatly if anything was explained. It is only tainted by the appearance of Alex Jones, yep, that Alex Jones. At the time of seeing in 2001 I had no idea who he was. Years later I was watching it and now the voice was very familiar. I read the credits and confirmed that it was him. This is my favourite sequence. In it he plays a variation of the "character" we've come to know on his show but here there is hopeful nature to his rantings. Despite this Waking Life is still a film that ignites my imagination. On the d DVD copy it has a feature which text appears on the screen when they characters are talking about a book or specific philosopher. I hope the Criterion Collection releases a blu-ray version.

This is one of the most thought provoking films I've ever seen. It's also visually stunning and perfectly acted: every single one of these people seem to be just giving their own opinions as if you were overhearing/having a meaningful conversation with them.

We can chalk this up to the genius of Linklater who over the years has shown not only the pretentiously humorous coffee house crowd cliches but also the searching, often deeply insightful side of our generation that the media overlooked when we were dubbed slackers. In films he has written: "Slacker" and "Before Sunrise" and in his films of stage plays Bogosian's brilliant, Chekhovian "SubUrbia" and the faintly melodramatic "Tape", Linklater has always been fascinated with the question of what we should doing with our lives. Our responsibility is to contribute something lasting and meaningful to our society. But what exactly is that? Where and when should I do it? Who with? How do I know if I've really found it? Why is it so important again, anyway?

I saw this movie for the first time late last night and 5 minutes before it started I had fallen asleep and was hoping I'd be able to make it all the way through the film. From the first frame I was riveted and completely awake and remained so even after it was over; contemplating all the myriad viewpoints the film had thrown at me.

This movie is so exciting and bursting with ideas that I'm going to buy the DVD as soon as I possibly can and watch it over and over trying to absorb it all.

See this film. It will remind you of how thrilling it is to be an active thinking, feeling member of the human race.

Okay, i haven't read any comments yet, but a lot of the "one line summaries" sound negative. I just finished watching this film, and registered an account with IMDb solely to speak of this film. These are the types of movies that we should be expecting from filmmakers today. Aren't we all tired of the blockbuster bullshit by now? True, it's not a "typical movie" and yes...it is a cartoon. But, the style is completely unique and entirely necessary for the story. If it were simply caught on film and released in that same manor, it would not have had the monstrous effect that it had, and it would not have come across in a way that would retain the interest of this generation's ADD youth (which SHOULD be it's primary demographic...they are the ones who can still change this world, and create the paradigm shift that is necessary) This movie is the fiber of all life, it IS that collective unconscious from which we all draw our own, personal beings. It explains the philosophies of years gone by and minutes gone by in a way that anyone could understand them. While I know that some closed minded people are going to be scared and confused by all of this necessary information, if only one mind is opened because of it, I know that Richard Linklater would be greatly pleased.

Waking Life has broken new ground surrounding the idea of animation. Filming people, then having artists with different styles "animate" the recorded scenes was brilliant. The visuals are constantly changing, providing an aurora of sights that you can not take your eyes off of. Trippy? Yes, Burnt Out? No- This movie can not only be appreciated for the wild images, but for the story-line as well... On second thought-story-line might not be the right word. The actual "plot" of this movie can be seen as an hour and a half of the most interesting philosophy course one can find. The characters and conversations are deep, fascinating, and thought-provoking. You must see this movie more than once because it is almost impossible to absorb what you see and be able to fully appreciate the genius of the script. I've seen it about 5 times and there are still some scenes I have yet to fully grasp. Sit back and treat your eyes and mind to the most stimulating film of the year.

I greatly enjoyed Waking Life, I was most impressed by the animation and the philosophical dialog that just kept hanging on the characters' every word. This movie is not for everyone, at least not for those who like their films 'light'. The fact is that Waking Life consists mostly of the main character discussing philosophical topics with various colorful characters. At some point it was difficult to remain concentrated to everything the characters say, for they were rambling quite discoursively, making the audience feel like they're attending a lecture. But the animation makes up for that, because the film has so much visual content that one could also watch it with out the dialog, just being immersed in the art.

I'm not an expert in philosophy, I've just taken one beginners class, although i am interested in the topic. In reply to complaints condemning the film pretentious or complaining that it's philosophical ideas are old or overused. I'd say that Waking Life, rather than trying to reinvent philosophical theories, tries to present these ideas in the form of a film the same way as Jostein Gaarder's book 'Sophie's World'. It could in that way function as a sort of 'window' into the world of philosophy, a first touch. I'd hesitate calling it a beginners guide to philosophy as the language is demanding, especially for non natives. But on my part, I feel having expanded my horizons, by experiencing Waking Life. This movie can be enjoyed on many levels, and also a whole spectrum of interpretations can be drawn from it, watch it and see what it makes you feel.

"Waking Life" is not an easy movie to explain. Portraying the philosophical adventures of a young man, the movie does some mind-blowing things. Certainly the animation is not like anything that you've ever seen. As to the question of whether or not the movie is trying to make a point about anything, I guess that it's looking at the current state of the world.

Did I like it or not? It is definitely worth seeing, but not for those with short attention spans, or who just want to be "entertained". This movie is closer to "The Seventh Seal" than to most of Richard Linklater's other movies. Check it out.

Waking Life is almost like a compilation of short films as opposed to one complete full length feature. But then the film insists repeatedly that there is a logic to it, dream logic. This, however, could even be circumspect. It's really a unique blend of philosophical monologue &/or soliloquy &/or dialogs, a mix of 'isms' (asburdism, surrealism chiefly, even magical realism in tiny spots), and if there were any film of the past ten years that I might offer up as a recommendation to Godard, it might be this. Richard Linklater also serves up his kind of sequel to his first film, Slacker, which was about as free-form and experimental and questioning and thinking about the ways of life as any given group of college kids (the bright ones I mean) might have on a bright day. It's ironic though after seeing the film to think that this is even considered a 'stoner movie'. The color scheme, developed by Bob Sabiston (who would also head A Scanner Darkly, another Linklater film), is about as wild and perfunctory for the kind of mood that Linklater could get. Wily Wiggins, after getting hit by a car, drifts in and out of dreams- constantly dreaming one could only possibly think to guess- as people come forward in Austin Texas to put forward views on life. But will this state of constant dreaming (sometimes 'lucid' sometimes not) continue?

This is the thread that hangs all of the film together like a true-blue stream-of-consciousness clothesline that would appeal to stoners, I think, and at one point I did even consider being high for the duration of the picture. I was more glad to be sober for it all though, because as I write this I wonder if I could even grasp everything- or maybe need to again- on a 2nd full viewing. So much still sparks off in my head of things I connected with by what the characters talked about to Wiley (chiefly things regarding existentialism and Sartre, free-will, how dreams can affect how we perceive things in the 'real' life, and the ideas concerning cinema itself and Bazin). While once or twice it came close to becoming almost TOO much of a eye-grabbing and mind-churning thing that once or twice it's more of a random 'essay' than really a good scene. But like with Slacker, there's also the occasional jab of fine humor from Linklater, like the ape working the projector reading off paper, or the guy who reappears as a convenience store clerk. Towards the end, as Linklater himself appears on camera and has maybe the longest talk of all, Waking Life becomes all the more clear and revelatory.

This is really, when it comes down to it, an independent production with a real independent thought process to it. Linklater, with Sabiston as something like his best kind of collaborator, guides us through all of this to see what's so wonderful, strange, horrifying, incendiary, crude, and worthwhile about what it is to try and live one's life, but also in seeing it through the perspective of the un-reality of a reality of some kind of other dream state. Or something of that nature. At any rate, it wont be everyone's cup of tea, and if you do decide to make it as such a stoner movie be ready to take in everything that's being said along with the crazy animation. While I might take Linklater's Scanner Darkly just slightly over this one (due to the animation for that being better in its control and working much better with a much more sustained subject matter), Waking Life still holds its own as one of his most ambitious projects that ends up going one step further than Slacker. He's working at full-speed with the faculties of experience, intelligence, questioning (and maybe not always, appropriately, with answers), and ultimately creativity. And that musical accompaniment is one of the finest in years.

Waking Life is not a movie, it's a conversation. Which might be OK if it's "My Dinner With Andre," but not here. It may be a great conversation, and, as conversations go, an entertaining one. But not as movies go.

These conversations are interesting, and I may even agree with a lot of it. I may have even thought and talked about these very same philosophical and abstract ideas. It can be fun. I like big ideas, I love to think in movies. I love Gattaca and Memento and Dark City, to name some recent examples.

And believe me, I agree with the sentiment that it's good to ask questions and feel "alive" instead of some creature that is forced into what to think. And I do, in fact, find myself often longing for those days of yore, where these types of on-campus conversations happened regularly, as opposed to the mundane junk we talk about on a daily basis.

But ultimately, though I might want to read the book, this does not make for a good movie. All of the fantastic and brilliant artistic effects in the world -- which this has -- should not deceive you into thinking otherwise.

One problem is, I've had many of these conversations already, and they are generally fruitless. They may be mentally stimulating and interesting, but they ultimately are nothing more than mental gymnastics.

But that's not really it. Mental gymnastics can be great in and of themselves. Our mind needs to be exercised or it just shrivels up.

The big problem is, even if we're inclined to enjoy conversations and mind puzzles like this, we don't enjoy being passive observers of them. Whatever joy might be derived from this kind of thing comes from actually participating in the conversation, even if that means just writing your own essay.

I believe participation is of the essence, because ultimately these kinds of conversations are an egotistical exercise. Since these big ideas don't really have answers, the conversations are ultimately fruitless and frustrating, so just listening to them gets you nowhere. In fact, you could say these conversations are ultimately pointless to have, except as mental gymnastics ... just as basketball is ultimately a pointless pursuit except for the fun and exercise of it.

I wonder if he's done this creative animation to hide the quasi-acting he made famous in "Slackers." That would be really brilliant, come to think of it, since we tend to forgive bad acting, over-acting, under-acting -- or whatever you want to call it -- in animation. I liked Linklater's "Dazed and Confused" and "Suburbia," but at least those movies had people trying to act.

Of course, it could be argued, these characters aren't even pretending to act. They're just talking. But that would bring us right back to the original point.

"Waking Life" is a dreamy movie by definition. It reminded me a bit of Jim Jarmusch' "Night On Earth" - maybe because those movies have similar (yet fantastic) scores, maybe it's because both are told in episodes with little else going on than people talking to each other. "Waking Life" is really unlike any other movie, though.

Besides the highly philosophical and intriguing dialogues it's the unique visuals that set this movie apart from any other motion picture out there. The movies' look isn't a case of style over matter at all, it's what gives "Waking Life" it's dream-like quality. This look is what really sucks you into this completely different world, this dream world.

Although I've loved some of Linklater's movies dearly ("Before Sunrise/Sunset", "Dazed & Confused", "School Of Rock") and I have appreciated him as a rather versatile director before, it's "Waking Life" that convinced me that he's a real master, as artistically skilled as Michel Gondry or Darren Daronofsky. It may not be Linklater's very best movie, but his directing and his writing here are probably his most artistic and masterful work so far.

The movie is fun on a casual viewing and on a more intensive viewing the film does contain numerous outlooks on life and the human experience which is cool and mind blowing if your first viewing is when your are young this movie is great but a mature viewer will see these messages as pretentious because many of the views stated are an over-analyzing of life that take away from any meaningful experience with the notion that it could all be a dream, which it all may be but, that takes away enjoying the moment.

So in a nutshell great if your a 16 year old stoner Weak and pretentious for a real world adult.

Let me begin by saying that reviewing this movie puts you into a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario. If you think it sucked, well, you're just too stupid to understand it, or you don't have the attention span. "Why don't you just go see Monster's Inc.", they'll rebut. So you are forced to say that you like it. I'd be willing to bet that at least 50% of those saying it is great (with no specificity) are just trying to avoid looking like they can't understand it.

Now, onto my review. I wonder if the people who call Linklater brilliant think that he somehow wrote all these theories? That he is some metaphysical genius that invented all these positions? I would hope not, as he obviously didn't. Which leaves me to ask, "What did he do that deserves my praise?" The guy went to a university with a tape recorder, got some real-audio of some Psychology 101 and Philosohpy 101 lectures, and paid some animators to draw someone saying them.

The theories discussed are not advanced. They are fairly common and easy enough to follow. Even the boy admits, "they sound familiar, like I'd heard them somewhere". They don't get more complex. They don't refute each other. They don't build. They don't reach a conclusion. They are just strewn together, willy-nilly. If you're going to make a film exploring all of these issues, at least do me the favor of taking a position on them... give me some insight, some enlightenment. To just present them without organization or taking a position just seems to translate to me as: "See how much I know??" Like a discussion with someone after their first philosophy class, when they recite theory to you, without questioning, challenging, or even favoring any of it.

I feel that the use of the plot being that the boy was dreaming (or dead) was to hide the fact that Linklater DIDN'T have any profound point to make. Only in a dream could he get away with an incomprehensible, poorly organized blob of discussion on a topic. Had this movie been set in the real, waking world, he would have had to go somewhere with this... to make a point or take a position. But as it was he could just let it be slop.

See this movie only if you'd like to pretend you and your friends are intellectuals for a night. Then log onto imdb.com and write about how profound and moving it was, but don't, whatever you do, say why. Just saying that it was deep and explored reality and the mind will suffice.

Did this movie make for a stimulating evening? It could. But don't think that this movie is intellectually superior to another just because it uses big words and discusses metaphysics. You can analyze pop movies and try to pull meaning from it, too. And at least the pop movies mask it in the DETAILS OF A STORY instead of just purely PRESENTING YOU WITH RAW THEORY. Is Moby Dick just about a whale? Is Star Wars just about rescuing a princess? No. These tales explore quite a bit of human dynamics and philosophy, but at least they have the sense of ART to present it in a masked way.

This is not an art film. It isn't even a film. It's an intro class lecture with pictures.

I recently viewed Waking Life By Richard Linklater and found it to be a truly unique viewing experience. The film deals with the idea of lucid dreams and the nature of our existence and many other philosophical questions. What struck me about the film was the way in which the superb animation was layered over the film. What this achieves is indeed a sense of a dreamlike viewing experience.Everyone has those dreams where they have a great sense of having gone somewhere and done something wonderful when they wake up. It may be difficult to remember details of your surroundings or what exactly you did but you know you were somewhere doing something. The jumpy nature and fluid characteristics of the animation really help to create that very same feeling while viewing the film.

I cannot stress the creative genius of Richard Linklater enough. He appears himself at the end of the movie and brings some closure to the main protagonists' dilemma of being trapped in this dream state. The film highlights the idea of how intertwined our dream lives and our Waking lives are. Memories that we once thought to be real often turn out to dreams and vice versa. Fans of philosophical debate and chat will be in heaven here however those who find themselves easily bored by such discussions may be skipping some scenes.

Finally, Waking Life is another chapter in the pioneering film-making of Richard Linklater. He has given us such gems like Before Sunrise and Dazed and Confused. He has achieved in bringing film back to its essentials.. performance and script.

This is life. While watching, I thought so much that I got tired, but the masterpiece of this movie comes from the amazing combination of questioning dreams and life (respectable). Listen from the perspective of an ordinary viewer too.

The film makes extraordinary, profound reflections on many things that have happened in your life within a multi-layered dream, and at some parts, I had to pause and watch twice to understand (my recommendation is to watch by pausing). The rotoscope technique was as if it was created for this film and its amazing compatibility impressed me a lot.

I realized that we think very little about our lives, this film says to think more as life is very layered, in my opinion. Of course, everyone will interpret it differently, but it should be thought about after watching.

If you ask, "how can acting stand out with this technique?", they stand out very well. The voices of the actors in every frame seem as if they were created specifically for that dialogue, and the distant music in some scenes was the same.

Rinklater has gained my extreme respect because he showed me something truly amazing. This is not a film to be watched once and never again; it is a work that can be watched repeatedly, constantly and is something I admire.

Also, he made it with a very low budget, and he is giving us a pure otherworldly idea, I don't know how else to describe it. I won't give examples of individual scenes because each scene is so subjective that everyone should watch and come up with their own interpretation. This review is from an ordinary viewer who is extremely impressed and watches a lot of movies; I am looking at 2023, and the number of these types of movies is dwindling, hopefully the number of these types of films will increase.

WATCH THIS MOST INQUISITIVE, DEEP, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY EXHAUSTING MASTERPIECE OF A FILM AND MAKE OTHERS WATCH IT TOO.

Note: This is definitely a tiring film, it should be watched by pausing and with full concentration.

The first scene caught me off-guard, feeling and sensing the real people behind the hypnotic yet grotesque rotoscope animation. At first it might distract or feel weird seeing shakiness all over and big eyes seemingly pulsating in and outside the lines of their faces, but after the initial unsettling cartoonish vibe, everything just becomes more surreal. It's art, and it's beautiful.

Richard Linklater's attention to details with his cameraworks and cinematography gives you a unique experience, but what makes his movies stand the test of time is his script. As taut as a newly-adjusted guitar string, his dialogues/script reverberates from your ear into your mind & into your soul, and it will be hard to shake it out of your system . It's as real as life, as tight as Superman's spandex. It's a fantastical feeling. At some point while watching I ask myself, if this is done without the animation, would it be the same movie? No. What makes Waking Life as surreal & beautiful as a famous work of art is the fusion of its unique animation, script, & the music. The fast-talking, quick-paced documentary vibe, the use of musical instruments that stirs at your soul, the fascinating animation, and the thought-provoking dialogues worked perfectly for me. As one character has said, "Don't ever be bored!" And I wasn't.

As the writer character in the movie said, the greatest story ever told is "people, gestures, moments, bits of rapture, fleeting emotions." You don't need a coherent plot or a named protagonist for this kind of movie, all you need is to clear your mind and enjoy this wonderful, cerebral dream-like experience. And before you drift off, DON'T FORGET, which is to say, REMEMBER, because remembering is so much more a psychotic activity than forgetting, the iguana will bite those who do not dream.

Whenever anyone gets offended by a film like this--calls it

preachy--says the philosophy is shallow--whatever, I always find

that they seem to follow it up by trying to convince you that they are

even deeper thinkers and smarter than the director because

"they've heard this before." Wow. The most sadly ironic thing about

studying the human condition is that many times, when we've

reached that high plane of enlightenment, everything we've learned

leads us to nothing better than wanting to show others that we are

smarter than they are and sniff at other peoples attempts to make

some sense of things.

I didn't really have any preconceived notions coming in and I

watched it in sort of the same way I watched My Dinner With Andre.

Not thinking the director was trying to tell his audience the way

things really are, but simply tossing a few ideas around in a

technically interesting way. I found my time well spent and I think

this is certainly a beautiful little film. I was always taught that the

first step to enlightenment was to admit I don't know jack&^%&

about anything. So, I don't find it preachy and I have no problem

listening to a few different ideas about life and dream life. And

anytime someone wants to discuss human connection in a film of

all things, I'm willing to listen.

I feel that the point of this movie about lucid dreaming is that we can achieve almost anything, when we learn to be conscious within our dreams. That's when we can start to create our own life, cause life starts in our mind.

The visuals in the movie are quite inspirational and extremely well done. And the views in the movie are brought to us in layman's terms so that we can all enjoy old and new philosophy's alike and hopefully use them to our advantage.

I'm just glad that someone's finally addressed the issue of dreaming versus creation and done it in such a genius way too.

If you can dream it, you can do it!

"Waking Life" is like an animated "My Dinner with Andre" so that the talking heads are certainly more interesting to look at.

The mostly rotoscope-like technique makes for more intriguing characterizations than most animation, with interesting use of character actors and intellectuals with quirky faces and attention-commanding voices, no matter what sense/nonsense they're talking about dreaming/waking/consciousness/life/death.

The cameos of such as Ethan Hawke (who is just as sexy animated as filmed) and Stephen Soderbergh and Adam Goldberg are fun to pick out.

As the scenes were taped in "real life" first, the sounds are also more realistic than animation usually utilizes, from footsteps, to breathing and location atmospherics like traffic.

(originally written 11/10/2001)

While tossing and turning in bed, thoughts and ideas fly through the mind like a busy like a freeway. Images of friends, family, what happened that day, what should have happened. Sometimes, questions fill the mind. Why doesn't she like me? When am I going to get my big break? Suddenly, like a wave crashing against the shore, it hits. Why am I here? What do my dreams mean? Is there free will or is my life planned out ahead of time?

The questions that philosophers for thousands of years ask "why?" have driven mankind on a search for reason and understanding. How to free oneself in everyday life. To really understand why things happen, not just physically but mental processes. Filmmaker Richard Linklater supplies some much needed thinking material for those restless nights and boring work days in Waking Life. It is fuel for the mind. Filmed in segments using breakthrough computer imaging software, the film is a combination of live action with animation drawn over. It is real enough to know that actors are being used, but distant enough to know that there is something very unique going on here.

Each segment has slightly different animation, showing the many animators and their styles. Each segment also has a different topic discussed, but all essentially have the same idea; to think about the things we take for granted and the things we overlook and analyze them to a point of amazing detail and revelation. The main character, unnamed, is basically listening to all of these conversations and lectures as well as trying to find out what is going on with himself.

His problem is he is constantly dreaming and doing so unknowingly. There is no fine line between reality and his dreams. This is where these topics and ideas play an important part in trying to bring him back from his dream state and back to his "waking life". All of the people he encounters along this journey seem to be of the same state of mind. Constantly trying to understand and comprehend what is going on.

Linklater doesn't waste time with this film. Every segment has a purpose, even the breaks in between the talks and chats between the main character and other "dreamers", as well as those with completely different characters having the same questions. The animation is fun to watch as the world that we know is seen through the eyes of a dreamer, always moving and changing. Seemingly boring chatter becomes an intense conversation with the senses.

Not everyone thinks the same. Not all of these topics will spark the imagination and get the wheels turning. Certainly, the animation is an experience on its own. But even if one topic, one comment can change your way of thinking, the film has served its purpose. Waking Life is perfect for personal reflection. Dreaming can be fun. Living can be interesting. Living in your dreams will lead to adventure and personal satisfaction. Choose where you will spend your time...

Director Richard Linklater has enlightened us with a film of such intellect and analytical expression in `Waking Life'. The film is based on several characters discussing phenomenons such as existentialism, art, theology, and much more. Unfortunately, sometimes it does take a lifetime to fully understand what these characters are talking about. Yes! Bring your thinking caps (and dictionaries) to this one. However, somewhere along the film you will be `waking up before you go go' for the wonderful creative human animation the film presents. The movie was shot on digital camera utilizing real life actors which later would be transferred utilizing animation techniques. Movie warning: `Waking Life' is the brainstormer of the year. *** Average

This is the interpretation that I choose, that many critics have overlooked. I propose that the theme of this movie is more about birth than death. "Waking Life", although based on the extremity of uncertainties, is in my eye, less than guaranteeing the prophecy of the end to our human spirit. It isn't even guessing that you'll die without knowing the grandness of our universe. It is quite simply telling you that you'll always be positive of your soul's origin, everything that will happen to you is a prescription of morality, with decreasing potency as distance increases, until the inevitably and infinitely mysterious unforeseeable end of action. The film, in my opinion, implies that we are witnessing the poetic birth of a soul into the sphere of life.

All in all, Linklater has broken the mold of film production. His reminiscent air of nostalgia for the loss of time as golden as spent, does justice to the robbers of the human spirit, as the emotional outlook that captures us all when we look into the eyes of a photo album and feel the burden of a succession of guilt over the advancement of dreams.

A movie that doesn't have your typical structure visuals and dialogue, so it's not for everyone, and even if it is for you, you might need to be in the proper mood. A curious (and pioneering at the time) visual format and plenty of philosophical dialogue is the recipe for this one and if you are in the mood for that, just sit down and enjoy the ride because the sea refuses no river.

...who don't know anything about psychology or philosophy. Given the general lack of plot and characterizations in this movie, its ideas are all it's got. And as it turns out, its ideas are catastrophically weak and largely banal. The majority of the ideas in this movie are borderline incoherent and poorly elaborated, steeped in the intellectual waste that is post-modernism and consisting of vague and sweeping rhetoric that only simulates the act of actually thinking about anything. The few ideas that do have merit are used to draw outlandish and untenable conclusions, with only one exception in the entire movie (your job is to figure out which one). Additionally many of these are very basic and simple and could be found just by reading secondary sources on philosophy, psychology, linguistics and evolution. On top of all this, Linklater fails to provide any structure or stance for these ideas, tossing them about all haphazardly, trying to impress the viewer with the sheer volume of ostentatiously dressed but poorly thought out, banal ideas. This makes the movie come across as extraordinarily self-indulgent and mind-numbingly pretentious...which, it is. The only redeeming feature of this film is the use of rotoscoping, which is a very versatile technique and used to decent effect in this movie. Unfortunately, because the movie itself is so bad, rotoscoping is sadly reduced to a gimmick to distract viewers from thinking about how much money they just wasted to see this movie.