'WAKING': TOON IN, TURN ON, ZONE OUT.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Staff Writer

Midway through Richard Linklater's gorgeously animated blab-fest, ``Waking Life,'' a character poses a question. ``You know that thing that Benedict Anderson says about identity?'' If you can answer yes to this question, ``Waking Life'' will work for you in ways that go far deeper than the film's stunning visual artistry. If however, you're like 99.9 percent of the population and have never heard of Anderson, a Cornell professor best-known for his views on nationalism and ``imagined communities,'' then this movie might prompt you to drift off in a dreamlike state that is far from the movie's intended purpose.

``Waking Life'' is like Linklater's 1991 debut, ``Slacker,'' crossed with ``My Dinner With Andre'' with a dash of the elegant philosophical angst of writer Jorge Luis Borges. It's a nonlinear musing on the nature and effect of dreams, and if that sounds a little boring, truth be told, it is.

Within the first 15 minutes, you're subjected to extensive ramblings on existentialism, post-modernism, human potential, neo-human evolution and the function of the news media. By the time a vengeful, red-skinned man arrives on the scene, railing about how ``all you pukes are going to die,'' you're thankful for the change of pace, not to mention the introduction of a character who doesn't exclusively use four-syllable words.

Linklater shot ``Waking Life'' on digital video, edited the movie and then handed it off to art director Bob Sabiston, whose team of 30 animators ``painted over'' the footage using a digital process that extends the old rotoscoping techniques into the 21st century. The resulting transformation gives ``Life'' an undulating feel that sometimes makes ``The Blair Witch Project'' look like an exercise in precision camera work. But the liquid look is perfect for the movie's hypnotic musings.

The movie's main character, voiced by Wiley Wiggins, drifts through a landscape of his own dreams, which usually take the form of him watching or listening to both real and bogus philosophers jabbering about quantum mechanics, free will vs. determinism and countless theories of consciousness. The conversations can be interesting, but the cumulative effect can also be like being trapped in an elevator with an earnest graduate student who smokes a lot of pot in his spare time.

Fortunately, Linklater never takes himself too seriously, undercutting the contemplation with the whimsical animation. Thus when a man says he'd rather be a gear in society, his head turns into a cog. When another man says that ``fun rules,'' a clown bubbles up into the picture. The best bit comes when director Steven Soderbergh, in a cameo, repeats what Billy Wilder told Louis Malle, after the latter confessed he had just made a $2 million film about a dream within a dream.

``Then you've just lost $2 million,'' Wilder replied.

``Waking Life'' isn't by any means a lost cause. But you'd do well to remember the words of Linklater when he introduced the movie last January at the Sundance Film Festival.

``How many of you out there are on drugs?'' Linklater asked the audience. Several hands went up. ``Good,'' he said. ``This is for you. The rest of you, just bear with me.''

``WAKING LIFE''

(Rated R: language, some violent images )

The stars: Voice talent of Ethan Hawke, Julie Delphy and Wiley Wiggins.

Behind the scenes: Written and directed by Richard Linklater. Art direction by Bob Sabiston. Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Running time: One hour, 37 minutes.

Playing: Landmark's Nuart Theater, West Los Angeles.

Our rating: Three stars

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Photo:

Speed Levitch as he appears in Richard Linklater's surreal animated film ``Waking Life.''