The Science of Sleep
I was not a big fan of Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It was just too disjointed for me. So I approached his new film, The Science of Sleep, with a bit skepticism. And I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this film.
There is not a great deal of plot here. Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) has just arrived in France and will be staying at his mother's (Miou-Miou) place. He was living in Mexico with this father. However, his father recently passed away and he thought it best if he left Mexico for France. His mother has even arranged a job for him. He will be working as an illustrator at a calendar manufacturing company. But the job is not what he thought it would be and Stephane is bored out of his skull. He is an artist and inventor - a really creative being - and he cannot stand drudgery. He also has very vivid dreams and most of the time he can't tell what is real and what is a dream.
A young woman named Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) moves next door to Stephane. At first he doesn't let her know that they are neighbors and that his mother is her landlady. When they first meet Stephanie is with her friend Zoe (Emma de Caunes) and Stephane is more interested in her. But after a while he falls for Stephanie who has a mind that is almost as creative as his. But Stephanie claims that she doesn't want a boyfriend.
This is about all I can say about the film's plot. Stephane goes through the process of trying to win Stephanie. Some of these sequences are real some of them are definitely part of his dreams. The film is wonderful to look at and there is some amazing animation throughout. I really liked the Stephane character because he was just so sensitive. And I love the idea of exploring your dreams.
Everyone's acting is fine but the film belongs to Bernal. He plays his part with a great deal of charm and wit. Gondry does a good job of directing and while his writing is at times fragmented he is never boring. I cannot recommend this film to the average filmgoer. But I do recommend it to those of you who have great imaginations and like to fantasize about your dreams.
There is not a great deal of plot here. Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) has just arrived in France and will be staying at his mother's (Miou-Miou) place. He was living in Mexico with this father. However, his father recently passed away and he thought it best if he left Mexico for France. His mother has even arranged a job for him. He will be working as an illustrator at a calendar manufacturing company. But the job is not what he thought it would be and Stephane is bored out of his skull. He is an artist and inventor - a really creative being - and he cannot stand drudgery. He also has very vivid dreams and most of the time he can't tell what is real and what is a dream.
A young woman named Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) moves next door to Stephane. At first he doesn't let her know that they are neighbors and that his mother is her landlady. When they first meet Stephanie is with her friend Zoe (Emma de Caunes) and Stephane is more interested in her. But after a while he falls for Stephanie who has a mind that is almost as creative as his. But Stephanie claims that she doesn't want a boyfriend.
This is about all I can say about the film's plot. Stephane goes through the process of trying to win Stephanie. Some of these sequences are real some of them are definitely part of his dreams. The film is wonderful to look at and there is some amazing animation throughout. I really liked the Stephane character because he was just so sensitive. And I love the idea of exploring your dreams.
Everyone's acting is fine but the film belongs to Bernal. He plays his part with a great deal of charm and wit. Gondry does a good job of directing and while his writing is at times fragmented he is never boring. I cannot recommend this film to the average filmgoer. But I do recommend it to those of you who have great imaginations and like to fantasize about your dreams.
posted by Film Fanatic | 2:19 PM
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