2008 Woodie Awards
'The Science of Sleep' is a dream come true
James Q Sheehan
Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: Entertainment
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After the immense success of the his 2004 blockbuster "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," director Michael Gondry takes the viewer into the depths of the human mind once again with "The Science of Sleep." The film tells the tale of Stéphane (Gael García Bernal), a young Mexican man tricked into coming to France by his mother, and his difficulty distinguishing his dreams from reality. While in France, he meets and falls for his next door neighbor, ironically named Stéphanie (Charlottle Gainsbourg). Their relationship becomes complicated because of Stéphane's lack of confidence coupled with his tendency to slip into his dream world at any given point of the day.
The cinematography in this film is beautiful, creating a playful atmosphere that makes it easier to tell whether the situations occurring are real or part of Stéphane's dream world. However, even with these clues the viewer is often left questioning what is real and what is not, making the identification with the protagonist much more powerful.
The dialogue is often times comical, moving almost seamlessly from French to English to Spanish and back. Stéphane's inability to speak coherent French makes for interesting translations and many a ruse played on him by other characters.
"The Science of Sleep" is truly a nice departure from the Hollywood ordinary of big names and big stories. This simple film takes us inside one man's dreams and perhaps gives us a different view on our own.
3.7 popcorn buckets out of 4.0
The cinematography in this film is beautiful, creating a playful atmosphere that makes it easier to tell whether the situations occurring are real or part of Stéphane's dream world. However, even with these clues the viewer is often left questioning what is real and what is not, making the identification with the protagonist much more powerful.
The dialogue is often times comical, moving almost seamlessly from French to English to Spanish and back. Stéphane's inability to speak coherent French makes for interesting translations and many a ruse played on him by other characters.
"The Science of Sleep" is truly a nice departure from the Hollywood ordinary of big names and big stories. This simple film takes us inside one man's dreams and perhaps gives us a different view on our own.
3.7 popcorn buckets out of 4.0
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