“The Science of Sleep”
Directed by: Michel Gondry. Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alain Chabat, Emma de Caunes.
Innovative director Michel Gondry, best known for “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, directs “The Science of Sleep”. Gondry once again gets inside our heads, but this time it’s our dreams, not just our memories that he’s looking to explore. In “The Science of Sleep”, Gael Garcia Bernal portrays Stéphane, an inventor and artist who has trouble delineating his reality from his dream life.
After the death of his father, Stéphane moves from Mexico to France to live with his mother. She lures him to France with the promise of a creative job. Stéphane soon finds out that there’s nothing creative about the position at a calendar publishing company. Spending the day in an unchallenging and boring environment leaves his creative mind begging for stimulation, which he finds within his lively dreams each night.
Stuck now in a country very foreign to him, where even the language serves as a barrier between him and his surroundings, he questions whether to return to Mexico. When he meets Stéphanie and her friend he decides to stick around.
Charlotte Gainsbourg depicts Stéphanie, a very grounded new neighbor of Stéphane’s. After a superficial interest in her pretty friend Zoé passes, Stéphane discovers a kindred spirit in Stéphanie. Stéphanie sees something in him as well. But, their relationship can’t develop if Stéphane continues to be unable to separate his reality from his dream life.
Gondry puts the audience in Stéphane’s shoes. We travel between intertwined dream and reality and sometimes, like Stéphane, aren’t sure which is which. The creative editing, stunning visual effects and interesting performances work perfectly in sync to create an original and otherworldly film going experience.
Story: B-
Acting: A-
Visuals: A+
Originality: A
Enjoyability: B+
Overall: B+
|
