The Science of Sleep
Screenplay written by: Michel Gondry (also, Eternal Sunshine of
the Spotless Mind)
Actors: Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Rated: R
Life seems to be looking up for shy and withdrawn graphic artist
Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) when his mother lures him to move
back to his childhood home with the promise of a great job.
Outrageously creative, the imagination that fuels his dreams often
makes it difficult to separate his real life from his dream life
whether awake or asleep. Alienated at work and tremendously
disappointed by the painfully mundane nature of his job, he dares
to be hopeful of striking up a relationship with his neighbor,
Stephanie. Straddling fantasy and reality, his confident dream
persona begins to sporadically assert itself in his real life.
Soon, Stephanie begins to appreciate the tenderness in the
vulnerable young man when they share common visions and creativity
in spite of his deep-seeded insecurities.
The Science of Sleep
Screenplay written by: Michel Gondry (also, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Actors: Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Rated: R
Life seems to be looking up for shy and withdrawn graphic artist Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) when his mother lures him to move back to his childhood home with the promise of a great job. Outrageously creative, the imagination that fuels his dreams often makes it difficult to separate his real life from his dream life whether awake or asleep. Alienated at work and tremendously disappointed by the painfully mundane nature of his job, he dares to be hopeful of striking up a relationship with his neighbor, Stephanie. Straddling fantasy and reality, his confident dream persona begins to sporadically assert itself in his real life. Soon, Stephanie begins to appreciate the tenderness in the vulnerable young man when they share common visions and creativity in spite of his deep-seeded insecurities.
He Said:
With the feel of a low budget independent film, it managed the rare combination of being a tender story told through the fantasy of surreal stop-action imagery. It was clearly straight out of the imagination of a person who must have had more than a passing relationship with chemical inducing dreams. The Science of Sleep was also in the hands of a greatly resourceful writer/director who deliberately used non-traditional methods and imagery. While the story was unusual in its light and dark sides generally, Stephane’s state of mind made for an out of the ordinary film experience in strange combinations of color, form, and texture. Not for everyone, this non-traditional cinematographic experience was clever in its deliberate lack of sophistication.
On the R&R Scale (1-10):
6 for script: Phenomenally creative while creating empathy.
6 for direction: Ingenious creativity, yet a stretch for most.
6 for acting: Wonderfully authentic understated emotion.
6 for plot: Many planes within the recesses of the mind.
6 for entertainment Value: For an Independent Production fantasy.
6.0 Overall
She Said:
Internal perspectives contrasting against external factors made this film both visually and emotionally unusual. The curious contrasts the director/writer engineered made the dream-state more surreal and the stark realities so much harsher – then he blurred them all together. Simply complex by experiencing the world through Stephane’s sensitive mind, it was also exhilarating, exhausting, and somehow refreshing – as though embracing life through the wonder and insecurities of a child. When you need a break from the loud and glossy Computer Generated Imagery of the standard blockbusters, The Science of Sleep offers the perfect non-standard counterbalance.
On the R&R Scale (1-10)
6 for script: Inventive and vulnerable- like its characters.
8 for direction: Wildly creative.
7 for acting: So natural.
7 for plot: From and to the recesses of the mind.
7 for entertainment Value: for a low-budget Independent film.
7.0 Overall
