Product Description

The Science of Sleep, a playful romantic fantasy set inside the topsy-turvy brain of Stephane Miroux (Gael Garcia Bernal) an eccentric young man whose dreams constantly invade his waking life. Stephane pines for next-door neighbor, Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), but she becomes confused by his childishness and shaky connection to reality. Unable to find the secret to Stephanie's heart while awake, Stephane searches for the answer in his dreams.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6190 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2007-02-06
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Amazon.com
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 concerns the flirtations and misunderstandings of Stéphane (Gael García Bernal, Babel), an aspiring visual artist, and Stéphanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg, 21 Grams), his Parisian neighbor 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 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

Customer Reviews

A surprisingly dark movie
After the death of his father, Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) moves from Mexico to France, to be closer to his mother. Already a dreamer, Stephane finds his dream world spinning out of control and blurring with reality when he falls in love with his neighbour, Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a woman who seems to be Stephane's perfect match.

I was almost put off this film by its trailer. For those who haven't seen the trailer, it essentially portrays this film as a romantic comedy about two unusual people who somehow find each other and whom you know will go off happily in the end - yawn! Seen it before and didn't like it then...or so I thought. It was only the promise of the animated sequences that eventually got me to break down and watch this film and I'm glad I did. Although this film contains many of the elements of a typical romantic comedy, it has incredibly dark undertones to it that make it far more interesting than any films I have ever seen in this genre.

Instead of making Stephane into a lovable dreamer living in some sort of parallel universe where he is sheltered from the horrors of reality, writer/director Michel Gondry places Stephane firmly in the real world, allowing the audience to see the real consequences of Stephane's actions and the tragic implications of them. This is a move that strikes me as being incredibly brave and I'm sure disagreed with many viewers. That's not to say that this film is depressing, though. Throughout the film, Gondry allows the audience to see Stephane dreams, animated sequences that can best be described as what Ray Harryhausen's special effects would look like if Harryhausen was only allowed to use toilet rolls and cellophane. These scenes lighten the film immensely, and are so fun that, even if you don't want to see the rest of the film, I would recommend just watching these.

"The Science of Sleep" is a film that will probably not appeal to all tastes. Nevertheless, if you're looking for something that's darker and edgier than your standard romantic comedy, then you should give this film a go.

Do not waste your money or time
I did not like this movie, I think Gael is a good actor, but lately he is directing or producing some independent movies, maybe I got lost in the science of sleep but honestly there is no science on sleeping and neither in this movie

Tonight, I'll show you how dreams are prepared
Initially known for his odd yet visually stimulating music videos for musicians the likes of The White Stripes ("Fell in Love with a Girl"), Rolling Stones ("Gimmie Shelter"), and Bjork ("Bachelorette"), director Michel Gondry, in the eyes of many, is clearly on a path toward cult status. In recent years, he's stepped away from the music scene to direct movies such as Be Kind Rewind and 2004's hit Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Both movies follow Gondry's unsystematic style of directing which walks the fine line of artisticexpression and utter absurdity. That said, it's no surprise that 2006's The Science of Sleep is made in that same manner.

The Science of Sleep follows the disjointed life of protagonist Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal). The film opens within a dream of Stephane's in which he is hosting his own cooking show on Stephane TV. He's making a recipe for dreams, which calls for "a handful of reminiscences, the day's musical choices, and enough spaghetti for two." This scene brings forth the first notion that our protagonist has a problem maintaining a firm grip on reality. Stephane finds himself back in France after the death of his father. His mom has lured him to the country with a job offer that will employ his artistic ability. The job turns out to be nothing more than a lie his mother uses to bring him closer to her, and Stephane finds himself working a dismal job he has no passion for. Soon, he finds love with a woman, Stephanie, who lives next door, and the two embark on a relationship that is as fragile as it is destructive. The two connect creatively, but are both too naïve and vulnerable to carry the kind of relationship each yearns for. As they become closer, Stephane finds himself falling into his dreams more often, and his ability to discern reality from fantasy becomes increasingly difficult. His sensitivity and petulance become more exposed, and gives way to the fact that he is severely tormented by his inadequacies and overall fear of meaning nothing to everyone. This foils the volatile relationship between the two young lovers, and although it's clear that they were made for each other, it simply cannot be.

Gael Garcia Bernal brings forth another brilliant performance in the film, proving that his acting isn't limited to the Spanish language (see Y Tu Mama Tambien and Motorcycle Diaries). Through Stephane, Bernal makes it possible to see ourselves in times of defenselessness. In the opening of The Science of Sleep, we find Stephane's dreams to be funny and even charming, but as the plot develops, we truly see how trying it is for him to distinguish what is real from that which isn't. Scenes that once held elements of humor become more painful to watch, as the viewer is subjected to the unraveling of a protagonist who wants nothing more than to live out the dreams he finds himself trapped in. The viewer will suddenly find their laughs replaced with a morbid fascination of the inner workings of Stephane's psyche. It's director Michel Gondry's way of expressing that we as humans in times of difficulty find ourselves escaping to a comfortable place among our imagination. It is our escape from reality, but should not be looked upon as a resolution to our troubles. That very escape can just as easily allow us to become a prisoner of our own thoughts.

Due to Stephane's frequent treks through reality and dreamscapes, the film can be quite hard to follow at times, but it is made this way to emulate the same confusion Stephane is feeling. Rather than using multi-million dollar special effects, Gondry employs the use of stop-motion animation and random materials such as cellophane, cardboard boxes, and paper mache to achieve an overall look that exudes an air of sophistication and art. The visuals are never too overwhelming and are just as essential to the film as the storyline. Sundance reviewer Karina Longworth put it best when she said, "Gondry tends to make movies for two kinds of people: sad-eyed boys with fantastic record collections, and the art school girls who want to make out with them. The Science of Sleep is essentially a hipster wet dream." If you are not one of those two kinds of people, do not fret, as there is something for everyone to discover in this film. If one night you find yourself in the mood for an engaging piece that strays a bit from the conventional, check out The Science of Sleep. Even if you don't find yourself in that kind of mood, check it out anyway. The plot and depth of each character is not presented on a silver platter, allowing the viewer the freedom to make what they will of what is presented on the screen... a rarity among many modern films. The Science of Sleep allows viewers the pleasure of walking away with an individualized experience that will still play out long after the film has ended. Gondry has served up a great piece for both the film enthusiast and the average watcher, and really, what more could you ask for?