THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP

[adamjohnson]

Why is there no thread on this yet?

Ill be seeing it tomorrow. HAs anyone caught it yet?

[Lazy Boy]

9/10 -- it's really hard, either this or Hard Candy is the best film so far this year, and I can't decide!

Charlie Kaufman may have received all the credit for Eternal Sunshine, but Michel Gondry, with that film and now this mind trip/love story, reigns as the king of heartbreaking romance films, albeit in an unconventional way. It's like he dipped my brain in a vat of rainbow paint and proceeded to lather a blank canvas with it. In summation, I swear some of the characters' dialogue onscreen came from my own head, it's freaky. It's "quirky" and "whimsical," but not in the bad way that something like Little Miss Sunshine can become after multiple viewings. Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) can be quite an annoying man-child, selfishly addicted to creating his own fantasy world at the expense of other people's emotions and feelings. This flight of fancy would be unbearable were it not grounded in some deeply felt truths. Make no mistake, this is a comedy, but based more on childlike notions of romance and coutship in a world turned to corporate-driven crap. Stephane creates his own sky based on a few broken piano chords, the next minute he's building a time machine, which his female companion, Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) absorbs with good faith and zero incredulity. And so on.

Absolutely, without a doubt, this is one of the three best films of the year. After a good start, then a middling summer, the fall is back to bringing audiences quality films that aren't typical of the same tired formula. Boy meets girl, etc. this is not, although it may feel like that initially.

[MadsenOMC]

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Though not as satisfying as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, writer/director Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep is a delightfully bizarre and visually arresting film.

Essentially this is a love story, but not the kind I expected it to be. For some reason I thought Gael Garcia Bernal’s Stephane would spend the entire film chasing after his neighbor, Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg). That is not the case.

Stephane has come from Mexico to Paris because his mother has promised him a job in graphic design that will allow him to utilize his creativity.

The job is for a small firm that produces generic calendars, and in fact it does not require any creativity from Stephane. That is actually frowned upon. In a hilarious scene, Stephane tries to sell his unusual concept for a calendar to his boss. It involves the 12 most infamous disasters in world history, including a fire in Mexico City and a flight that crashes over the North Atlantic in the ‘90s (can’t remember the exact flight number).

His boss is appalled and informs Stephane that people want simple calendars featuring puppies and flowers and such. Stephane is crushed and hates the job.

Meanwhile, Stephanie has recently moved in next to Stephane, though she is not immediately aware that they are neighbors because he does not want her to know this. He shows her his “inventions,” including 3D glasses and a machine that allows you to go back or forward in time one second, and initially it appears that she is quite taken with this odd but charming young man.

Stephane, however, is oblivious to this. Apparently he does not have much experience with the opposite sex. He is also increasingly engrossed with his dreams, which act as sort of a sanctuary for him. He can escape from or alter reality. The more he retreats to his dreams, the more difficult it is for him to decipher between what is real and what is in his head.

When Stephane finally does come to the realization that he has feelings for Stephanie, he discovers that it is not mutual. She does not want a boyfriend and is not romantically interested in him.

The dream sequences, which often involve either Stephane at work or hosting a talk show, are inventive and clever. Alternately simple and elaborate and frequently very funny, the low tech effects used in them are a joy.

As enchanting as The Science of Sleep is, it lacks the emotional resonance of Eternal Sunshine. Stephanie is not as well drawn as Clementine, and we don’t care about the fate of Stephane and Stephanie in the same way we did about Joel and Clementine.

Despite that, Gondry’s unique blend of whimsy and romance is still effective, and Bernal gives a wonderful performance. It is impossible to imagine another actor playing this role.

Not without its rough patches, The Science of Sleep has an absolutely perfect ending that more than redeems its shortcomings. Without giving too much away, it’s ambiguous enough to be open to interpretation while simultaneously capturing the tone Gondry has established with Stephane’s dreams.

Ultimately, The Science of Sleep is hard to categorize and explain, but it’s original in a way that doesn’t call too much attention to itself. It feels intimate, like the kind of movie where every single shot, for better or worse, is meticulously chosen and part of the director’s precise vision. Thankfully, the vast majority are for the better.

8/10

[ilovemovies]

Hmm, some of the reviews have been surprisingly negative. Not that I ever listen to reviews.

I think it looks cute and amusing but it doesn't really look like it's anything mind boggling great. I don't think it will be as good Eternal Sunshine. But, who knows. Maybe the trailer just doesn't do THAT good a job and to the movie's credit, it does look like it's probably one of those type of movies that's hard to sample in just a 2 1/2 minute trailer.

[Strider]

The Science of Sleep - 8/10 or ****/***** stars

Michel Gondry's highly anticipated follow-up feature to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and first film written by the director himself, The Science of Sleep, is a charming, dazzlingly bizarre fantasy/romance, which proves that Gondry can make a great film without the brilliant scriptwriting efforts of Charlie Kaufman. In one of the year's best performances thus far, Gael Garcia Bernal plays Stephane, a very peculiar, yet loveable human being who aspires to be a master inventor, with such an endless amount of charisma and energy that is simply amazing. Emotion is the only area where an otherwise witty, creative script by Gondry stumbles, as it lacks the emotional impact I had expected and hoped for. The Science of Sleep covers themes of love, relationships, dreams, and life, but it's more of a love letter to the beauty of the gift of imagination.

Strider

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It's getting released here in a week. Cannot wait. Like many of the other schomes, I adored Eternal Sunshine, and I think Gondry is just an all around great filmmaker (the man's made some of the best music videos to boot too!). I saw one of the clips via My Space, and thought it was fantastic. Cannot wait.

[blankpage]

holy fuck: double post!

[blankpage]

holy fuck again! TRIPLE POST

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someone's gotta delete all these duplicate posts..

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sorry..

[TylerDurden182]

I'm seeing it tomorrow. Can't wait.

[ThirdOuting]

This and INLAND EMPIRE. Can't wait.

[JCPhoenix]

Just saw it earlier today...my two friends who I saw it with liked it very much and the audience was really into it (one guy and girl in particular kept howling with laughter)...

It was pretty much what I thought it'd be - Eternal Sunshine minus the structure plus more crazy and inventive/imaginative sequences. It was a really easy watch, the visuals were always interesting and I liked how he mixed reality with dreams to the point where we had no idea which was which at times. Very enjoyable film with a very very loose storyline. I was quite happy with it as it lived up to my expectations.

Bernal continues to impress too with this role - he seems incredibly willing to embrace the childlike/immature nature of the role and he does it really well. With this, Amores Perros, and Motorcycle Diaries he's quickly become the most promising actor methinks. Not to mention Babel on the way, as well as his roles in Bad Education and Y Tu Mama Tambien (both of which I haven't seen yet but Bad Education we're watching in class later this year and Y Tu Mama Tambien I'll probably watch in the next few weeks). Charlotte Gainsbourg was also excellent in her role as the slightly more grounded neighbor...

A high 8/10 right now.

[ChemicalRomance]

The worst film of 2006.

2/10

[Lazy Boy]

:(

Nothing will be as awful as Date Movie.

Oh, well. Maybe I overhyped it...

[ChemicalRomance]

It wasn't you Lazy...here..here are some of my quick thoughts on it:

http://www.ifctv.com/ifc/img/thescienceofsleep_poster.jpg

Let me start by saying that ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND is my 2nd favorite film of all time, so for those who are about to tell me I'm a stubborn SOB who can't appreciate creativity and qurikiness can shove it.

This film is an absolute trainwreck, a head first dive into the shallow end of a pool of subconcious. Nothing works, nothing nothing nothing. The entire film is a contest to see what could be more quirky than the last scene. Plot points go nowhere, such as the death of a main characters father (this is said in one of the first lines of the film). The realtionship is empty and overly and unrealistically awkward. Useless scenes come in and out with repeated jokes that only get flatter and less funny as they are told over and over again. Characters try their best to be funny and oh man QUIRKY but end up just driving the film in reverse, going in circles over and over again, hitting the same banal points over and over.

I can't believe how much I hated this film. I saw my father asleep halfway through and thought I should join him. But no, I sat and watched, hoping Gondry could recapture the magic he had in his debut. But no, the hole only got deeper as it dragged on and on with Gondry's pretty good direction but horribly paced dialogue that swings between French and English for no real reason other than to make the film even more headache inducing.

I'm embarssed by this movie. I can't even remember some of it, it is just so fucking forgetable. Proceed to this one at your own risk, becuase I can type why I hated this film with every inch of me for the rest of the day.

Judging by the 8/10's and higher being thrown out for this film, I am in for an uphill battle and I really do not care.

2/10

[JCPhoenix]

Sad to hear you didn't like it ChemicalRomance...can totally see all your points too and I'd agree with some of them (some plot points going nowhere, almost over-the-top quirkiness), just that for me, I wasn't really expecting the film to really make any sense before I went in - namely, I was going for the interesting visuals, etc, and on that level, it really satisfied me. And I liked Bernal/Gainsbourg's chemistry together.

[Lazy Boy]

Good points, Drew, sorry you didn't like it.

One element I do want to mention that you referred to was Stephane's father being mentioned and subsequently dropped -- I only thought he had a deep connection with him as a child, and less so with his mother, and he comments on how Stephanie reminds him of his father at one various intersection. So, I think the memory or spirit of the father played a key role in pushing Stephane towards this relationship, but also reminds us (and him) of his own paranoia surrounding Stephanie. Maybe he's acting under the thought that she will leave him like his father left him at an early age in his emotional development. I don't know for sure, that's just conjecture on my part, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

[ilovemovies]

Originally posted by Lazy Boy
Nothing will be as awful as Date Movie.


Ultraviolet?

[Lazy Boy]

I haven't seen that one yet.

[Strider]

Originally posted by ilovemovies
Ultraviolet?

That's definitely a bad film, but what about The Benchwarmers? I wish I had never seen that one.

I'm surprised you hated the film so much, Chemical, considering ESSM is one of your favorite films. I do understand your point on the film's overwhelming quirkiness.

Anyway, I saw SOS for the second time last night, and it holds very strongly. After watching it again, I've a question about the ending.



***SPOILERS***

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Once Stephanie climbs into her bed with Stephane and starts to touch his hair, we, the audience, then see another one of Stephane's dreams. What exactly does this dream mean? Is it merely a dream of what Stephane desires, which is a happy, everlasting relationship with Stephanie? That's the way I interpreted the ending. I didn't think things were going to work out between the two. Therefore, Stephane's final dream is of what he wishes would be a reality.

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***END SPOILERS***


Strider

[ilovemovies]

Originally posted by Strider
That's definitely a bad film, but what about The Benchwarmers? I wish I had never seen that one.




*COUGH*Um, well, I actually kinda, sorta liked that movie!*COUGH* :p

Mind you not all of it was funny. John Heder wasn't funny neither was the guy with agoraphobia. But I have to admit that Rob Schneider has actually grown on me over the past couple of years and I like David Spade as well.

To me, Date Movie is definately in the bottom 5 thus far, but it's only #4. A head of it (or is that below it?) are The Libertine at #3, Ultraviolet at #2 and IMO, and I know some people are going to disagree with this since for some reason this movie was actually liked by some people, the worst movie of 2006 is the virtually laughless, and pretty completely unwatchable Nacho Libre.

[Lazy Boy]

Strider

Your interpretation of the ending is closely attuned with my own, so yeah, I think you can derive where Stephane's desire is focused on at that particular point. Beautiful ending.

[dreamcurls]

there's some interesting reviews. . . . . I want to see this, it I have time-after all the "must see" movies. . . i won't be too sad if I miss it, I'll catch it on DVD

[TylerDurden182]

The Science of Sleep- 4/10

Chemical, I agree with everything you said. I'm very disappointed.