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.
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.