I recently got the chance to watch a film called “Waking Life.” It was a very different kind of film, but I think that it’s different in a good way.
This is an animated film that follows a young man trapped in a series of dreams where he converses with people or acts as a spectator of conversations. The conversations deal with reality, mortality, free will, the meaning of life and the future of the human civilization. Through the insightful conversations, we are bombarded with multiple perspectives on politics, philosophy, science and spirituality.
As the movie progresses though its minimal amount of plot, the protagonist begins to realize that he is trapped in a dream. Then a new topic arises, what is a dream? Is it a figment of our imagination, or is it a part of reality? Is there an underlying message in our dreams, or are they just a compilation of meaningless events?
Bottom Line – this movie is an “eye opener’ and forces you to as a lot of questions. The art work was great, the discussions were deep, and the themes are relatively original. Though this film suffers from a lack of plot, I don’t believe that a movie this philosophical really needs much of a story. If you are looking for an exciting movie and have trouble sitting still for a long time, this one is not for you. But I enjoyed it, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s 16 and above. I give it a 4.5/5
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