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Amazon.co.uk Review
The Science of Sleep concerns the flirtations and misunderstandings of Stéphane (played by Gael García Bernal), an aspiring visual artist, and Stéphanie (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg), his Parisian neighbour who creates whimsical sculptures from cotton balls and felt. As Stéphane toils in a caustic office for a company that makes calendars, he retreats into his dreams and finds them increasingly hard to distinguish from reality, and vice-versa.
The French magician and director Georges Méliès was arguably the first master of special effects, filling the silent movie houses of the early 20th century with camera trickery that stunned and delighted audiences. A century later, Michel Gondry works very much in the spirit of his artistic predecessor and countryman, creating films and music videos that feel just as hand-crafted and visually fantastical. The Science of Sleep is a trilingual film, with dialogue spoken in French, English, and Spanish by characters who are very much global citizens, crossing boundaries of consciousness as easily as they cross boundaries of culture. Gondry decorates his love story with deliberately low-tech special effects, including cellophane made to look like bath water and a subconscious television studio constructed largely of corrugated cardboard. This is filmmaking with all the seams and stitches exposed, an appreciation for the patent falseness of films that nonetheless transport and enchant us. It's dreamy. --Ryan Boudinot
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a very European production. "The Science of Sleep" permeates with the viewer even more than "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind" did after its first viewing because its more impulsive and creative. Michel Gondry, now having three full-feature films under his belt, does penetrate the very core of our dreams, and somehow makes us believe that we can too.
In the beginning of this film we can clearly see that Stephane, played by the charming Gael Garcia Bernal, has problems distinguishing dreams from reality. Stephane at first, lived in Mexico with his father, then moves to Paris with his mother after his father death. Taking up a boring and unsatisfying job, he often flees to an imaginary world. He falls in love with his new neighbor Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourgh). She herself is some sort of a dreamer, though more grounded in reality than Stephane. Though smitten by his fantastic world and creativity helps kick off their relationship. Now as the movie progresses Gondry blurs this concrete line and it becomes difficult for us to see the difference. This is a key part of the film, and seems to keep the impulse to a minimum while keeping us more in tune with Stephanes fantasies. Like everyone Stephane does, in his dreams, what he wants to do in reality, but can never muster the nerve to.
What's astonishing about this film is the sheer surreal childlike quality that Gondry is able to keep throughout the film. It's like an 8 year old was allowed to let his imagination go loose. Seldom have we seen such an inventive world on screen. The acting is naturally impressive. Gael Garcia Bernal is the perfect choice for Stephane. Though his character is a little bit uncanny (to say at least), he's able to make us feel sympathy for his character, especially at the end which is no small accomplishment. Gainsbourgh's prim and unconventional beauty is the perfect match for Bernal.
"The Science of Sleep" is more creative than Gondry's last two efforts, while still incorporating his interesting film work. Gondry does take the childlike stop-motion feel of "Rhinoceros Eyes," and blends it seemingly with his original ingenuity. A very human story involving the drama, paranoia, and tension experience. Not to be miss for the Indie film fans.
In the beginning of this film we can clearly see that Stephane, played by the charming Gael Garcia Bernal, has problems distinguishing dreams from reality. Stephane at first, lived in Mexico with his father, then moves to Paris with his mother after his father death. Taking up a boring and unsatisfying job, he often flees to an imaginary world. He falls in love with his new neighbor Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourgh). She herself is some sort of a dreamer, though more grounded in reality than Stephane. Though smitten by his fantastic world and creativity helps kick off their relationship. Now as the movie progresses Gondry blurs this concrete line and it becomes difficult for us to see the difference. This is a key part of the film, and seems to keep the impulse to a minimum while keeping us more in tune with Stephanes fantasies. Like everyone Stephane does, in his dreams, what he wants to do in reality, but can never muster the nerve to.
What's astonishing about this film is the sheer surreal childlike quality that Gondry is able to keep throughout the film. It's like an 8 year old was allowed to let his imagination go loose. Seldom have we seen such an inventive world on screen. The acting is naturally impressive. Gael Garcia Bernal is the perfect choice for Stephane. Though his character is a little bit uncanny (to say at least), he's able to make us feel sympathy for his character, especially at the end which is no small accomplishment. Gainsbourgh's prim and unconventional beauty is the perfect match for Bernal.
"The Science of Sleep" is more creative than Gondry's last two efforts, while still incorporating his interesting film work. Gondry does take the childlike stop-motion feel of "Rhinoceros Eyes," and blends it seemingly with his original ingenuity. A very human story involving the drama, paranoia, and tension experience. Not to be miss for the Indie film fans.
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I'm an unashamed Gondry fan - I'd go as far as to call him a genius - I think his music videos are superb and I thought Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was pretty decent. Gondry has the kind of surreal creativity that is so often lacking from cinema - he has a knack of translating ideas into powerful visual imagery, and this is certainly the case with The Science of Sleep. Gael Garcia Bernal's character - Stephane, returns to Paris on the wishes of his mother to work as an illustrator. The story follows his life in an apartment block living opposite Stephanie - played by the ever-gorgeous and multi-talented Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Like Richard Linklater's "Waking Life" did before, and as the title suggests, this film essentially seeks to represent in celluloid those moments of intense REM sleep / vivid dreams that you get which leave you wondering "did that happen - or did i dream it". the inter-weaving of the dream world and the real world creates confusion and interferes with their friendship in the real world - or is it the dream world? The reason this film works so well is how subtlely Gondry blurs the waking world and the world of your dreams. Combined with fantastic props and lavish sets, like all good films, this works on a number of levels, making it accessible even if you just want to follow the most obvious plot line. I personally preferred this film to Waking Life, partly because I think the fusion of models, crazy sets and real life actors is a more representative approach of how muddled dreams get - whereas Linklater adopted a more uniform style of presentation through film converted into animation. I would whole-heartedly recommend this film - whether you are after a fun watch on a Saturday night, a gratuitous set-designer's visual feast of props, animation and backdrops, or something deeper, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
Like Richard Linklater's "Waking Life" did before, and as the title suggests, this film essentially seeks to represent in celluloid those moments of intense REM sleep / vivid dreams that you get which leave you wondering "did that happen - or did i dream it". the inter-weaving of the dream world and the real world creates confusion and interferes with their friendship in the real world - or is it the dream world? The reason this film works so well is how subtlely Gondry blurs the waking world and the world of your dreams. Combined with fantastic props and lavish sets, like all good films, this works on a number of levels, making it accessible even if you just want to follow the most obvious plot line. I personally preferred this film to Waking Life, partly because I think the fusion of models, crazy sets and real life actors is a more representative approach of how muddled dreams get - whereas Linklater adopted a more uniform style of presentation through film converted into animation. I would whole-heartedly recommend this film - whether you are after a fun watch on a Saturday night, a gratuitous set-designer's visual feast of props, animation and backdrops, or something deeper, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I must begin with saying that Michel Gondry's latest effort, The Science Of Sleep, will not appeal to everyone, and I've certainly found that it can be a case of you either love it or hate it. But what I would say is it is a film worth taking a chance on. If you do you will find a film striving to provide something that little bit more individual that results in one of the most rewarding and funny films of the past few years. The visuals demonstrated in the dreams of Stéphane are some of the most creative, expressive and often beautiful put to film. But it is nothing without the movie itself. The chemistry between Gael García Bernal's Stéphane and Charlotte Gainsbourg's Stéphanie is great throughout, displaying love, or possible love in all its awkward, embarassing glory. Even with the mixing of different languages the dialogue is wonderful and often leaves you in stiches. If you ignore the bad joke, in The Science Of Sleep you really may find a film worth dreaming about.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Whimsical
I wanted to watch this because I'm a big fan of Gael Garcia Bernal, and I have to confess I've never heard of Michel Gondry. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Four Violets
science of sleep dvd
I was asked to watch this for a uni project. The film is OK but the backgrounds particularly when he is dreaming and they are made of cardboard are very good.
Published 3 months ago by lethal penguin
:)
Impressed, didn't watch before I bought but was pleasantly suprised. Visually exciting and quirky. Only downside is you have to pay attention unless you're biligual as the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Miss Heather Cunningham
Dialogue of Imaginative Feelings
Not all feelings makes sense, nor are all feelings a true snapshot of reality but what makes them unique is that they are our own. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Angie Bastion
Quirky and disturbing
This movie is great. It is great to see how aspects of this movie ended up in 'Eternal Sunshine'. Gondry creates a cute-disturbing-confusing-quirky movie. Read more
Published 9 months ago by jdol6979
Narcolepsy inducing
I am a huge fan of Michel Gondry - loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, quite like Be Kind Rewind, (though thought it ran out of ideas somewhat), and consider him to be one... Read more
Published 16 months ago by P. M. Stoddart
Weird and wonderful
Item arrived quickly, its a film which i would imagine is either loved or hated, by Michel Gondry starring Gael Garcia Bernal it follows a young man who prefers his dreams to his... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Paul
The Science Of Sleep
It's a wonderfully weird movie that I watch over and over. If you like Amilie, then you will definitly like The Science Of Sleep.
Published 20 months ago by cjsta90
The Irony Is Is That I Fell Asleep
Despite some great visual set pieces and a lot of potential this movie falls very short on delivery. Read more
Published on 4 April 2010 by D.G.M.(X.)
the science of sleep review
I am happy with the product sold to me, it arrived in good nick and didn't take long in the post
Published on 2 April 2010 by Peter Mclaren
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