The new animated feature Waking Life redefines the term "motion pictures."

Written and directed by indie auteur Richard Linklater, who was also responsible for such dialogue-heavy films as Slacker and Before Sunrise, Waking Life is like watching a gorgeously expressive art gallery come to life on screen. Strands of hair writhe as though alive, characters burst vividly with colour and backgrounds float and transform.

And that's where the film unquestionably succeeds: The animation, which involved painting over live action footage, is absolutely mesmerizing.

Good thing, too, because the film, which follows a young college kid (Wiley Wiggins) trapped in a dream state, features a lot of deeply pretentious dialogue and very little in the way of action. Wiggins flits from conversation to conversation with an array of free thinkers, philosophers and scientists who rattle off their feelings and theories about God, the meaning of life and death and other deep topics.

Samples: "The idea is to remain in a constant state of departure while always arriving. It saves on introductions and goodbyes." "While technically I'm closer to the end of my life than I've ever been, I actually feel more than ever that I have all the time in the world." "On really romantic nights of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion" and "I believe reincarnation is just a poetic expression of what collective memory really is."

So you're right to assume there are no singing animals or wicked stepmothers in this animated movie. There are, however, some recognizable faces, including Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprising their roles from Before Sunrise, and super-director Steven Soderbergh telling a funny anecdote. A truly frightening rant by a psychopathic prisoner and Wiggins' encounters with a caustic convenience store clerk are other highlights. And there's a great strings-driven musical score, too.

While some of the monologues are stimulating, you're just hammered over the head with one after another so much that it gets boring and repetitive.

Linklater has always made films that deal more with people conversing rather than taking action. Waking Life itself is like an animated version of Slacker, an experimental film that documented the ramblings of a series of people over the course of a day.

Waking Life is no less experimental, but it works. Even if you can't remember a line after you've seen it, the images remain with you a long time.

(This film is rated AA)

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