2008 Woodie Awards
Movie Review
Coming to Theaters 'The Science of Sleep'
John Adicks
Issue date: 9/11/06 Section: Culture
- Page 1 of 1
Ever since I was a kid, I have been fascinated with the magic that results from the combination of moving images and light projected onto a screen. Movies are essentially dreams of what the filmmakers want the world to look like. They are illusions, but this can be difficult to keep in mind when lost in the flow of a captivating narrative.
But what if life was like a movie, and the dreams have crossed over into what we view as reality?
This is the dilemma that Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) faces in the new film "The Science of Sleep." Written and directed by acclaimed music video director Michel Gondry, "Sleep" is a layered and probing look into the socially stunted life of a character based on Gondry's own experiences.
Gondry has injected his own feelings and emotions into his work since his days as a much sought-after music video director. His short film "Le Lettre" examines a boy's obsession with a female classmate.
In "Sleep," he has expanded on this short film's theme of social dysfunction and included many visual elements that have been used in his video work. So "Sleep" comes to us as a more fully realized and complete vision of Gondry's struggles in interacting with the opposite sex, his family and those he works with.
The Stephane character works out in his dreams what he can not control in reality. But often the two worlds overlap, which causes him a lot of trouble. At times, I felt somewhat uncomfortable in my role as viewer because Stephane is a troubled child trapped inside a man's body. I felt overly conscious of my own gaze as Gondry allowed us to see into the head of Stephane. This is a psychologically rich film with many scenes that depict how Stephane dreams, and in turn, how his dreams reflect and restrict his waking reality.
Fortunately for audiences, Gondry's film is a charmingly funny exercise in dream analysis with a well-cast group of supporting actors. Alain Chabat steals most every scene he is in as the sexually obsessed everyman who takes Stephane under his wing at their job putting together commercial calendars.
Charlotte Gainsbourg is perfect as the girl next door, Stephanie, the object of Stephane's love and attention. American audiences might recognize her from the films "21 Grams" and "Happily Ever After." Many of the dream sequences are very humorous, but at their core reveal the uncomfortable truths Stephane grapples with. But Gondry, with the help of his talented cast, never allows the mood to turn dark for too long.
"The Science of Sleep" is Gondry's third feature film following "Human Nature" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," the latter of which earned Gondry an Academy Award for original screenplay. "Sleep" is slated for release in Kansas City theatres on Sept. 29.
jadicks@unews.com
But what if life was like a movie, and the dreams have crossed over into what we view as reality?
This is the dilemma that Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) faces in the new film "The Science of Sleep." Written and directed by acclaimed music video director Michel Gondry, "Sleep" is a layered and probing look into the socially stunted life of a character based on Gondry's own experiences.
Gondry has injected his own feelings and emotions into his work since his days as a much sought-after music video director. His short film "Le Lettre" examines a boy's obsession with a female classmate.
In "Sleep," he has expanded on this short film's theme of social dysfunction and included many visual elements that have been used in his video work. So "Sleep" comes to us as a more fully realized and complete vision of Gondry's struggles in interacting with the opposite sex, his family and those he works with.
The Stephane character works out in his dreams what he can not control in reality. But often the two worlds overlap, which causes him a lot of trouble. At times, I felt somewhat uncomfortable in my role as viewer because Stephane is a troubled child trapped inside a man's body. I felt overly conscious of my own gaze as Gondry allowed us to see into the head of Stephane. This is a psychologically rich film with many scenes that depict how Stephane dreams, and in turn, how his dreams reflect and restrict his waking reality.
Fortunately for audiences, Gondry's film is a charmingly funny exercise in dream analysis with a well-cast group of supporting actors. Alain Chabat steals most every scene he is in as the sexually obsessed everyman who takes Stephane under his wing at their job putting together commercial calendars.
Charlotte Gainsbourg is perfect as the girl next door, Stephanie, the object of Stephane's love and attention. American audiences might recognize her from the films "21 Grams" and "Happily Ever After." Many of the dream sequences are very humorous, but at their core reveal the uncomfortable truths Stephane grapples with. But Gondry, with the help of his talented cast, never allows the mood to turn dark for too long.
"The Science of Sleep" is Gondry's third feature film following "Human Nature" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," the latter of which earned Gondry an Academy Award for original screenplay. "Sleep" is slated for release in Kansas City theatres on Sept. 29.
jadicks@unews.com
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