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Waking Life

Waking Life

2001
Drama, Animation
1h 39m
In this animated drama, a man walks through what may be a dream, flowing in and out of scenarios and encounters with strange characters. (Fox Searchlight)

Directed by:

Richard Linklater

Screenwriter:

Richard Linklater

Starring:

Adam Goldberg, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Steven Soderbergh, Nicky Katt, Wiley Wiggins, Timothy 'Speed' Levitch, Peter Atherton, Richard Linklater, Lorelei Linklater

Genres:

Drama, Animation

Country:

USA

Language:

English
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Waking Life

2001
Drama, Animation
1h 39m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 62.28% from 3554 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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judge_holdenJudge Holden
Rated 27 Feb 2010
1
4th
The most insufferable movie ever made, with two hours of the most asinine and insipid conversations you'll ever hear. The script is something you'd expect from a pothead who dropped out of community college after attending one lecture on introduction to philosophy. Never has the adjective 'half-baked' been so apt. Oh, and the rotoscope visual style is as nauseating as the dialogue.
Rated 27 Feb 2010
overratedoverrated
Rated 14 Jan 2010
57
59th
wank wank wank wank wank wank wank wank wank *splurt*
Rated 14 Jan 2010
kasperlKasperL
Rated 27 Nov 2012
90
97th
"Hey, are you a dreamer?" The conversations are thought-provoking and fascinating, and the rotoscope style fits Linklater's film awesomely. Entrancing and wonderful.
Rated 27 Nov 2012
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 12 Dec 2006
69
23rd
I'm kind of torn. I love the visual style and the whole philosophical dream atmosphere, but too much of the actual content is half baked beyond belief.
Rated 12 Dec 2006
andreasthauAndreasThau
Rated 07 Sep 2014
95
97th
This is the single most amazing, surprising, thought-provoking and astonishing film I have ever seen. I saw it 3-4 times in 10 days, every time understanding more and more. To be able to pass on in a fictive universe, philosophy this profound, is incredible. And that Linklater manages to do so, whilst actually making a somewhat narrative story, is even more incredible. I can't really describe, I can only say: WATCH this and then watch it again while you're high!
Rated 07 Sep 2014
jeporcherjeporcher
Rated 19 Mar 2011
0
0th
Pointless, jejune and pretentious (but hey, it's animated!) If you know any academic philosophers and you'd like to subject them to slow, painful torture, this would be the way to go.
Rated 19 Mar 2011
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 25 Nov 2010
40
19th
I mean, it's good. Kind of. And interesting. Kind of. I was really into about 4 of the conversations, but the problem is that there are like 12 or more. And some of the conversations (or monologues) are fairly trite and/or pretensions. Alright, let's just say it. Incoherent rambling. Not that interesting, basically. But a few of them are very interesting. So how to rate this? I wouldn't recommend it to others, and I'll probably never re-watch it. Let's put it that way.
Rated 25 Nov 2010
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 18 Feb 2010
80
85th
Linklater's dreamy metaphysical journey is engaging, dazzling and beautiful. An experience for brain and eyes.
Rated 18 Feb 2010
maM_A
Rated 30 Sep 2009
81
83rd
The ideas may be presented in new and shiny ways, but they have been around for ages, and, while the film takes upon a certain philosophical cafeteria form, where well-established and simple concepts are touched on but not fully explored, the end result is delicious. I see it as a cliff notes version of the first few weeks of a philosophy 1000 course. The fact that it doesn't delve deeper helps this remain accessible to everyone, rather than simply those equipped with an interest in philosophy.
Rated 30 Sep 2009
msworddocmsworddoc
Rated 07 Feb 2009
15
2nd
effectively self fellating trash
Rated 07 Feb 2009
amerigoamerigo
Rated 26 Nov 2008
36
3rd
What may have worked as a series of theater skits fails spectacularly in the medium of film. A pothead's pipe dream riddled with fundamental philosophical concepts presented in a series of interviews does not make a movie.
Rated 26 Nov 2008
shmendrekShmendrek
Rated 16 Feb 2008
2
33rd
You can tell that he's really in love with the ideas, and some of them are interesting, but that doesn't always make for a good film. More of a curiousity than anything. Rotoscoping is novel and exciting the first time you see it, and then it quickly becomes gimmicky. Might be of some minor interest.
Rated 16 Feb 2008
reversereverse
Rated 14 Aug 2012
55
30th
Waking Life The biggest weakness of Waking Life is is that it is less clever than it thinks it is. The film is essentially a long string of speeches supposed to expose you to interesting ideas. Unfortunately most of the ideas are either not that interesting or not that well put.
Rated 14 Aug 2012
rnevesrrnevesr
Rated 24 Oct 2010
84
68th
I don't know what to really make of this movie. I can so easily create arguments as to why it's terrible - as I felt it was sometimes, being skeptical throughout it, thinking it was just pretentious. But the truth is, when it was over, I felt really moved. And in the end I had enjoyed the blaberring.
Rated 24 Oct 2010
forehead1forehead1
Rated 20 May 2010
60
72nd
Great direction, animation and acting/voices in this exploration of dream philosophy. But while some of it is genuinely intriguing far too much feels as if you're stuck in a room with a bunch of stoned university students, babbling on about something you don't agree with in very pretentious, verbose language. A real shame because there are some truly cracking moments (particularly involving the animation) and I really wanted to enjoy this more.
Rated 20 May 2010
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 04 May 2009
6
35th
The visual style may be its only redeeming quality. This 90 minute lecture about life just doesn't work well as a film. I'd rather listen Linklater talk about it than being fed this contemplative film (if you can call it one), audacious maybe but also uneven and junky.
Rated 04 May 2009
evolutionEvolution
Rated 20 Feb 2008
90
96th
Very similar style to Linklaters "Slacker" but the rotoscope and highly opinionated philosophy allows you to get more out of the film every re-watch. I doubt Linklater will ever top this.
Rated 20 Feb 2008
smoovejSmooveJ
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
53rd
Basic descriptions of select philosophies/social theories. It's not "zap your mind" brilliant but it's visually pleasing and a bit of fun.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
kabong254kabong254
Rated 14 Aug 2007
1
0th
Easily my most hated movie of all time.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 21 Apr 2007
41
13th
The initially interesting visual style ends up becoming really distracting and annoying, mostly due to the constant shifting of quality, which is completely pointless. The philosophy and ideas thrown around aren't offensive or anything, but they're oftentimes trivial, not very deep, and it becomes really tedious to have people reciting philosophy to you. Visually impressive but lacking otherwise.
Rated 21 Apr 2007
groovysoulsGroovy_Souls
Rated 06 Feb 2019
65
47th
I know that Waking Life is a good film... I just also feel like Richard Linklater got really high with some friends and started talking, then suddenly that was the script. Animation-wise, it's really cool. I love the rotoscoping. That being said, it's hard to watch this just out of the blue as it's more of a novelty than anything else.
Rated 06 Feb 2019
markberonteMarkBeronte
Rated 03 Jun 2018
80
76th
Philosophy 101 on acid. Very fun to watch even if the ideas presented will not be new to anyone with even a passing interest in the world they live in.
Rated 03 Jun 2018
thewirethewire
Rated 27 May 2016
43
30th
Has anyone ever referred to this film as Wanking Life?
Rated 27 May 2016
tjekhovTjekhov
Rated 24 Nov 2014
75
79th
No point in writing a personal review. All I wanted to say, AndreasThau has already said. See it.
Rated 24 Nov 2014
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 21 Nov 2014
5
70th
that i rather enjoyed this melange of hipster philosophy suggests that part of me is contained within this movie, and that is very troubling indeed.
Rated 21 Nov 2014
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 13 Jan 2012
38
5th
Tiresome animated film begins by using a nauseating visual style -- I nearly stopped watching after the 10 minute mark due to motion sickness -- but eventually settles down into a series of pompous, glib philosophical musings. Means to be quite deep, but emerges as a 'Philosophy's Greatest Hits' album, with no attempt to honestly engage with the admittedly intriguing ideas and thoughts which are presented. Made intolerable though by its hideous animation design.
Rated 13 Jan 2012
ddrudgesd_drudges
Rated 09 Dec 2011
30
30th
A bunch of boring, pretentious conversations with matchingly insufferable visuals.
Rated 09 Dec 2011
funkyastroFunkyAstro
Rated 23 Nov 2010
80
80th
I guess when you hang out with my friends all the time this movie isn't very impressive; that is to say there's nothing to be found here that hasn't been covered by a few drunk nights of conversation. Although I guess when all your friends have taken at least one philosophy class in their lifetime, one could only assume we've graduated beyond the basic tenants of the nature of this film. Great watch for the philosophy absent minded person though. Wow. I'm an elitist prick.
Rated 23 Nov 2010
neonmanNeonman
Rated 07 Oct 2010
85
81st
Endlessly fascinating, I could listen to most of these characters for hours and hours, despite how pretentious or "hipster" they seem. It's a hard sell, but the rotoscope animation makes this film all the more weird and wonderful, which makes it even harder a sell.
Rated 07 Oct 2010
blocpartyblocparty
Rated 16 Sep 2010
60
15th
sometimes I look at back and try to remember some movies, and this is one of the ones which I can't remember anything!
Rated 16 Sep 2010
pompousasspompousass
Rated 31 Aug 2010
0
12th
An experimental feature shot in live action (by Linklater) and then painted over via computer (by, or under, Bob Sabiston): neither fish nor fowl, though certainly fishy and possibly foul. The undulating, sloshing animation on top of the already unsteady camerawork is very hard on the eyes.
Rated 31 Aug 2010
tryspaceTrySpace
Rated 07 Aug 2010
100
98th
This is my absolute all-time favorite movie. The combination of the fitting music by Tosca Tango Orchestra, the film-to-animation style and the 'story' which is actually just people talking to, and with the protagonist who is constantly waking up, never falling asleep. This movie is in a constant state of departure, while always arriving. Philosophy, Science, Politics, Dreaming, Life, Death, this movie has something for anyone. This movie has opened up my mind unlike any other movie.
Rated 07 Aug 2010
cclxndrcclxndr
Rated 01 Aug 2010
85
79th
As a photographer and an avid lucid dreamer, this film speaks to me on a tender level. Definitely not a movie to turn your brain off to.
Rated 01 Aug 2010
jeffvjeff_v
Rated 25 Feb 2010
88
97th
Linklater's films are about the space in between people; they're about the process of sharing and understanding ideas, and the magic involved in their communication. Waking Life is an inspiring celebration of the community of ideas. The continuity of human thought and the desire to explain what we don't know is gratifying and inspirational in a weird way. In some ways it's an incomplete film because it's not finished until you've had a dialogue with the stuff that's thrown at you.
Rated 25 Feb 2010
prismaticPrismatic
Rated 26 Nov 2009
10
0th
Pretentious as fuck.
Rated 26 Nov 2009
chrispbaconchrispbacon
Rated 30 Oct 2009
98
95th
Thought-provoking meditation on philosophy presented in a unique format that keeps your attention throughout. The film can leave the viewer tired by the end in the constant barrage of ideas, since each idea is mind-blowing. This movie changed my life, in particular the "Holy Moment" scene.
Rated 30 Oct 2009
dinadinekedinadineke
Rated 11 Aug 2009
83
74th
More of an essay than a film. But a good one
Rated 11 Aug 2009
bownBown
Rated 10 Aug 2009
91
94th
So beautiful. I mean god damn. Much more philosophical than Slacker, and although I still prefer that movie, this is brilliant stuff.
Rated 10 Aug 2009
mertz109mertz109
Rated 02 Aug 2009
84
45th
An artistically interesting film, though as the years go on the rotoscoping isn't as groundbreaking to watch. Basically a series of coffeehouse-like philosphical speeches for an hour and a half. Had some cool, thought-provoking parts, while during other parts I wanted to just smack the speaker in the mouth.
Rated 02 Aug 2009
5thhobbit5thHobbit
Rated 18 Apr 2009
54
6th
This film swung between interesting and annoying (even obnoxious) for me. The scenes where characters are actually conversing like normal people (the Celine and Jesse scene; the two women talking in the cafe) were great; at other times, I felt like I was sitting through a jargon-filled university lecture (and a rather abrasive one at that, perhaps because of the art style, which didn't always work for me). A mixed bag.
Rated 18 Apr 2009
sharpcoolsharpcool
Rated 10 Mar 2009
90
95th
Deep. I took a few Vicodin before watching it so that may have extended the depth.
Rated 10 Mar 2009
janusjanus
Rated 15 Dec 2008
60
32nd
Considering how time-consuming the animation process is, and how well it brings out the unique strengths of an artist, using it to animate bits and pieces of baby's first philosophy lectures seems like a massive waste of potential, and the movie comes off as a story of a young man who has the most boring dreams ever. What little truly dream-like material there is is excellent, and some Slacker-esque encounters are a welcome throwback, but mostly the film is just an iffy idea with killer style.
Rated 15 Dec 2008
gn0m3ygn0m3y
Rated 22 Nov 2008
95
76th
REALLY mind blowing.
Rated 22 Nov 2008
delirium9Delirium9
Rated 14 Sep 2008
100
93rd
Simply brilliant.
Rated 14 Sep 2008
pdxtravpdxtrav
Rated 29 Jul 2008
100
96th
great movie but requires a great attention span.
Rated 29 Jul 2008
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 19 May 2008
6
55th
Very much like Linklater's "Slacker" but much more sophisticated. Some really interesting conversations but a few boring ones. The visual style is really cool as well. It was also cool to see Celine and Jesse together again. But not one of my favorites.
Rated 19 May 2008
lonelypandalonelypanda
Rated 31 Mar 2008
100
99th
Better than most dreams.
Rated 31 Mar 2008
chrisaugustchrisaugust
Rated 22 Mar 2008
97
99th
Philisophical, emoitional, beautiful and celebratory. One of the most original visions ever caught on film. One of my all time favorites.
Rated 22 Mar 2008
phaedrusphaedrus
Rated 15 Feb 2008
85
98th
Interesting and mind-expanding one-of-a-kind film.
Rated 15 Feb 2008
icarusIcarus
Rated 14 Oct 2007
95
96th
Stimulating cinema, from a visual standpoint, yes, but also in the narrative that emerges from this disparate collection of dialogues. The animation is consistently engaging, the changes in quality and style serving as intrusions into the narrative (while also working well to support the random quality of dreams). Further, the conversations are variations on a theme, on what it means to live, to be human. And Soderbergh's humorous moment reminds us Linklater doesn't take himself too seriously.
Rated 14 Oct 2007
cruelclowncruelclown
Rated 23 Aug 2007
50
21st
While the visual style is innovating, the dialogues begin to be really uninteresting after a while; and considering one is pumped of that kind of boring, new-age crap the movie becomes monotonous and unentertaining.
Rated 23 Aug 2007
willofgaiawillofgaia
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
7th
After a while, the philosophical ramblings become tedious and uninteresting. As a philosophical argument? Pretty interesting. As a film? Eh...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
tripleshTripleSH
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
93rd
Very philosophical in nature, but extremely well-executed. This is a film where if you wind up liking it, you'll definitely watching it more than once. This is another artistic hit for Linklater.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
emtiltemtilt
Rated 25 Jul 2007
39
12th
Simplistic and pointless. The comparisons to Linklater's wonderful earlier film, Slacker, are not warranted.
Rated 25 Jul 2007
blackandgoldblackandgold
Rated 20 Apr 2007
15
1st
The crowning jewel in Linklater's portfolio of sub-art school trash. Looks interesting, but the monologues are mindnumbing and the overall tone is unrelentingly obnoxious.
Rated 20 Apr 2007
chase23Chase_23
Rated 18 May 2024
91
84th
As one realizes that one is a dream figure in another person's dream... that is self-awareness.
Rated 18 May 2024
starchrisStar_Chris
Rated 28 Nov 2023
90
31st
-1 for the slow opening but otherwise spitting dime nonstop until the horrid climax
Rated 28 Nov 2023
sisyphusSisyphus
Rated 15 Jun 2023
80
10th
It might not be one of the greatest movies, but one of my faviourte it has its own genre, suitable for philosophy nerds
Rated 15 Jun 2023
joelwatchesmoviesjoelwatchesmovies
Rated 17 May 2023
8
80th
“I may not understand it... [or] agree with it. But I’ll tell you what I’ve accepted: just sort of glide along.” Yes, this Waking Life (the film, I mean. Or do I? Is life just a movie? I dunno what’s going on anymore) is one of constant motion and musing and it's a wonderful ride. The brilliant wobbly animation adds an appreciable edge and uncertainty to the long existential monologues and the second half shift to self-awareness provides even more depth. Funny and fascinating, with great music.
Rated 17 May 2023
adragon91ADragon91
Rated 07 Jan 2023
15
4th
If you already hated Slacker then I suppose this one is at least animated, although that’s definitely not a good thing as this looked awful.
Rated 07 Jan 2023
dylandrDylandR
Rated 23 Jul 2022
15
15th
Slacker animated. Not that interesting
Rated 23 Jul 2022
lightshadowlightshadow
Rated 12 Jan 2022
89
73rd
Rüyaya uyanan bir kişinin kendi içsel felsefik diyaloglarında bir yolculuğa geçiyoruz. Düşünecek şaşıracak ve kendi zihin odalarınızda temas etmediğiniz bir çok şeyle karşılaşacağınıza emin olabilirsiniz. Mana arayışını bir animasyonda görmek sizi gerçekte kendi rüyanızın katosferik yapısındaymış gibi hissettirebilir. Birbirinden bağımsız gibi gözüken sembollerin derinliği ve birbiriyle kurduğu bağlar neticesinde dahada ağırlaşan manası çok değerliydi. Sanki yeni uyandığınızda gördüğünüz rüyanın
Rated 12 Jan 2022
heynicefilmHeyNiceFilm
Rated 15 May 2021
75
39th
When I was a teen, this was one of my favorite movies. There are still some scenes that I hold close to my heart and I will forever appreciate it exposing me to certain ideas and going down certain rabbit holes. However, 10 years later it suffers the same fate as Linklater's other philosophical musing (Before Sunrise). What was once deep now seems a bit . . . cringe? Boring? Not all of it, but enough to drown out the good parts, just a bit. The art is top notch though, the world needs more of it
Rated 15 May 2021
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 04 May 2021
85
84th
Superior to Slacker and a perfect stoner philosophy film. Each conversation is just the tip of a strand of a massive idea, and its constant fleeting nature allows for a a relaxing, provoking watch.
Rated 04 May 2021
heinekenheineken
Rated 01 Nov 2020
100
97th
A dream of a movie
Rated 01 Nov 2020
timon88Timon88
Rated 28 Aug 2020
59
53rd
As much as I generally like Linklater's writing and way of looking at things, I just have trouble connecting with animation with pretenses to visual realism.... I don't want to be lectured by a cartoon. This gets called a "spiritual successor to 'Slacker'", or some such thing. but I found the monologues not nearly as lively or charming as in "Slacker". Some good moments, but too much of the time it's just an annoying cartoon.
Rated 28 Aug 2020
barnowlBarnowl
Rated 18 Jul 2020
93
67th
When you die, you dream.
Rated 18 Jul 2020
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 27 May 2020
83
71st
Out of the gate: this is undeniably pretentious. It's easily one of those love it or hate it movies. The rotoscoping is pretty cool, with different styles of animation used in different dream sequences. It's nearly two hours of meditations on life, conversations and rants about philosophy, literature, and religion with a heavy emphasis on what dreams can mean. I find it to be a relaxing watch with enough thoughtful ideas to keep me interested, though I'm not oblivious to the wank either.
Rated 27 May 2020
thatyoungmthatyoungm
Rated 23 May 2020
80
14th
Eh...Linklater is hit or miss for me. Boyhood, Dazed and Confused, and the Before series are emotionally impactful and beautiful, but films like Waking Life or A Scanner Darkly feel largely uneven and experimental. That's not to say Waking Life doesn't have thought-provoking scenes - it does. But it feels more like an abstract art project a lot of the time than a cohesive film and I probably wouldn't watch it more than once. Happy to have seen it, didn't stick with me.
Rated 23 May 2020
mddglumddglu
Rated 16 Mar 2020
75
76th
15.3.20(+)quarantinedayzwludi.
Rated 16 Mar 2020
crybyteCrybyte
Rated 24 Dec 2018
100
57th
Trippy, very hipster, but a great watch while high.
Rated 24 Dec 2018
unknownkogerunknownkoger
Rated 11 Nov 2018
60
4th
It's like first semester philosophy all over again. Far out
Rated 11 Nov 2018
sylowisylowi
Rated 25 Aug 2018
50
24th
It is basically the inner monologue of a freshman philosophy student who smoked too much weed and thinks they are wise beyond all reason.
Rated 25 Aug 2018
holsgrholsgr
Rated 14 Mar 2018
9
97th
Educational and original way to expose philosophical thoughts. Essential viewing.
Rated 14 Mar 2018
cairosmithcairosmith
Rated 10 Jan 2017
65
56th
The parts are more interesting than the whole. Each scene is animated differently, with a small minority being well constructed and the vast majority being jarring, lazy, half-finished video paintovers. Provides a good introductory buffet of modern philosophy which teens or the intellectually uninclined may find pivotal.
Rated 10 Jan 2017
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 24 Dec 2016
65
35th
So Nietzsche, Camus, and Picasso walking into a bar... Waking Life, at times, is hardly a movie but rather a series of moving monologues centered on individuality, dreams, and everything in between. A trip, for sure.
Rated 24 Dec 2016
ksrivasksrivas
Rated 18 Jul 2016
10
14th
Stoner bullshit.
Rated 18 Jul 2016
cinegeekdecinegeek.de
Rated 31 May 2016
89
77th
(...) Was ist Träumen überhaupt? Was geschieht mit uns, während wir träumen? Nehmen wir uns selbst wahr, aber ausserhalb unseres Körpers? Das ist eine der Erklärungen aus Waking Life. Und wenn wir sterben? Träumen wir dann fort? Doch das würde keinen Sinn ergeben, da ein Traum doch in unserem Gehirn iniziert wird. Oder doch nicht?(...)
Rated 31 May 2016
parexus2Parexus2
Rated 07 Apr 2016
68
14th
Not thought provoking at all, in fact its incredibly uninteresting and the visuals, while they may be pretty at first, get annoying really fast and nearly nauseating. Overall its pretentious and doesn't offer a whole lot.
Rated 07 Apr 2016
theescapistTheEscapist
Rated 15 Nov 2015
74
72nd
It's 'different'. Some really interesting scenes that stick with you, with fascinating dialogue and characters. Not because they are that deep, but just the way they are presented somehow makes it intriguing to watch. However there are also some not so interesting or even borderline obnoxious scenes, dialogue and characters. Fortunately none of these take that long. The idea behind the film is great, but it could have been better with more interesting characters, dialogue and events.
Rated 15 Nov 2015
satsujinsatsujin
Rated 20 Oct 2015
10
92nd
More of a documentary than a movie but still awesome. Very deep.
Rated 20 Oct 2015
prestobixPrestoBix
Rated 20 Aug 2015
100
99th
Seen: 2x
Rated 20 Aug 2015
moncliviemonclivie
Rated 12 Aug 2015
60
21st
Obnoxious people talking. Mostly banals.
Rated 12 Aug 2015
delizdeliz
Rated 07 Dec 2014
87
92nd
Wow. The dialogues are supreme.
Rated 07 Dec 2014
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 03 Dec 2014
78
70th
Creatively and ambitious made and interesting. But the episodic nature hurts it, leaving the ideas and topics undeveloped. At worst some just seem like the ideas drunk undergraduates writes on coasters. Still enough is interesting without getting too stilted and didactic. (2nd viewing)
Rated 03 Dec 2014
troothTrooth
Rated 14 Sep 2014
79
80th
I watched this movie while drinking, and I'm not sure if that made it much better or much worse than it should have been. But Moderately-Drunk Me liked it quite a bit.
Rated 14 Sep 2014
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 24 Aug 2014
92
92nd
The dream narrative can be a little clunky at times when it comes to linking the short monologues/dialogues together, but I do like that although feeling very much like a philosophical document, a more subtle personal story can be felt seeping through as the film continues. The scene with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy freaked me the fuck out though.
Rated 24 Aug 2014
communicantsCommunicants
Rated 13 Jul 2014
5
1st
Insufferable.
Rated 13 Jul 2014
antidood1antidood1
Rated 11 May 2014
90
97th
Essentially, this movie is just people talking about big, heavy stuff. But the framing and the visual style make it both digestible and relatable. There's not much of a narrative to hold on to (although the movie does gain momentum as it progresses), but the sheer intriguingness (?) of the conversations was enough to capture me from beginning to end. The amount of interesting ideas alone makes me love this movie, but the spot-on execution allows it to rise to a whole new level of mind-blowing.
Rated 11 May 2014
ocelotOcelot
Rated 17 Apr 2014
25
17th
A few interesting discussions, but ultimately more of an exercise than a cohesive whole. The dialogue about film towards the middle (the most interesting part) it ostensibly praise for Waking Life itself, but ultimately feels like a condemnation. By the film's logic, isn't any form of presentation establishing a narrative? The movie is mostly downhill from here, with some spurts of interest.
Rated 17 Apr 2014
glm01glm01
Rated 03 Oct 2013
80
64th
80.00.
Rated 03 Oct 2013
hajikarimihajikarimi
Rated 27 Sep 2013
94
86th
1059: is that a book of quotations?!?
Rated 27 Sep 2013
koliak2991koliak2991
Rated 23 Jul 2013
64
42nd
has aged alot since I was 16
Rated 23 Jul 2013
cat9mancat9man
Rated 18 Mar 2013
83
67th
The film doesn't allow any self exploration or personal relativity as you are dragged into a semiconscious design that robs you of the freedom to judge. You become captive to the author's experience, It is however a well designed cage of disconcerting animation and free flowing consciousness
Rated 18 Mar 2013
erikvanbeekerikvanbeek
Rated 09 Feb 2013
10
50th
A central proposition of existentialism is that existence precedes essence, which means that the most important consideration for the individual is the fact that he or she is an individual--an independently acting and responsible conscious being ("existence")--rather than what labels, roles, stereotypes, definitions, or other preconceived categories the individual fits ("essence"). The actual life of the individual is what constitutes what could be called his or her "true essence" instead of t
Rated 09 Feb 2013
glifosfatoglifosfato
Rated 08 Feb 2013
100
99th
i'm happy that this film exists.
Rated 08 Feb 2013
mooeMooe
Rated 09 Aug 2012
79
48th
I liked the unique animation style and the film is overall thought provoking. But it didn't actually 'do' much for me as I've already been confronted with several of the philosophies that the movie was discussing. It was good, however.
Rated 09 Aug 2012
daveinchwelldaveinchwell
Rated 22 May 2012
88
80th
This was a really original, interesting, and visually spectacular film that kept the viewer entranced with highly philosophic dialogue. It touched on some of the most interesting topics about existence that I've ever witnessed in a "hollywood" movie. A fine example of when US cinema gets it right.
Rated 22 May 2012
gruxitagruxita
Rated 30 Apr 2012
87
60th
A few great conversations we all have in our time and wish we could remember entirely.
Rated 30 Apr 2012
wayofthegunwayofthegun
Rated 11 Apr 2012
70
41st
Waking Life is a hard one to rate. I thought the writing was great and really liked a lot of the dialogue; however, a lot of the time, it just feels pretentious. Recommended overall though.
Rated 11 Apr 2012

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