The Science of Sleep - 2007

Directed By: Michel Gondry
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainbourg, Alain Chabat, Miou-Miou, Pierre Vaneck, Emma de Caunes, Aurelia Petit, Sacha Bourdo, Stephane Metzger,
Released: 16-02-2007

With the Charlie Kaufmann scripted Human Nature and then Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry, along with countless classic music video’s has crafted himself the reputation of a surreal, innovative and imaginative director, particularly by shooting all of the visual trickery and effects of Eternal Sunshine in-camera. So with The Science of Sleep, writer as well as director Gondry has plunged into a world uniquely his. To see this film is to realise how constrained and reeled in Gondry was working with Kaufmann. Which is saying a lot, when you consider the weird surrealism of Adaptation, Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine? Gondry however is a director who has clear influences of his vision of cinema and has moulded them into a fantasy romance story which could only have come from his mind. Gondry’s onscreen alter-ego, here played by Gael Garcia Bernal, undoubtedly one of modern cinema’s greatest actors, plays Stephane. who is duped into coming to live close to his mother in Paris after his father’s death, is clearly a disturbed man. Believing in dreams and the wondrous imagination it provides, he is soon thrust into the life of Stephanie. Played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, one of the most cinematically beautiful women to grace our screen in years she invokes her character with such a perfect continental charm. The kind of charm the British truly struggle to achieve, that it makes Stephane’s (Bernal) descent in love and all the madness and irrational behaviour that love always guarantees so convincing. Gael Garcia Bernal maybe the protagonist, but it is Charlotte Gainsbourg who allows us to believe in this dreamlike, surrealism Gondry is subjecting us to. Bernal’s quirky, slightly disturbed character is made all the more likeable and believable because of the surreal characters around him.

At his job, which is as mind numbing and depressing as most peoples jobs, are a collection of off the wall characters and Stephane fits in perfectly with their irreverent world. As the film progresses we come under Gondry’s spell. Dream sequences shift into reality, reality into dream and back again and before long anyone not paying attention is lost forever. It’s a credit to Gondry’s writing ability that this is essentially a romantic comedy about two unsuitable people who fall in love but are so emotionally crippled that they can never be happy together. What’s more, amongst and interweaved throughout his surrealist escapades are the kind of scenes everyone can relate to. Bernal, at a celebration party watches and drinks himself into a drunken stupor as Stephanie flirts and dances with another man. Stephane begins by be attracting to Stephanie’s friend, which makes Stephanie more defensive and stand offish with him. Gradually though their attraction breaks through and they embark, in Stephane’s mind at least, on a lovers journey only the cinema could capture.

Using animation techniques employed most famously perhaps by the Czech director Jan Svankmajer with his films such as Alice (1988) and Little Otik (2000). This use of stop motion animation highlights Stephane’s surreal life and support his dreamlike state. The animation itself will captivate those unfamiliar with other directors who have employed such devices, but Gondry has not achieved the success with his stop motion that Svankmajer has. This is no discredit to Gondry’s film which beautifully merges the reality and fantasy of Stephane’s life marrying the two perfectly as a metaphor for his relationship with Stephanie. One truly magical scene comes when Stephane talks to Stephanie from his dream. As with most great romantic tales this ends ambiguously. Just when Stephane and Stephanie are seemingly about to live happily ever after doubt creeps into their relationship and we are left wondering if either of them are willing to commit to each other.

Michel Gondry’s stunningly evocative, surreal fantasy works because of the simple, elegant and real love story at the heart of its narrative. Bernal and Gainsbourg are stunning as the lovers and Gondry’s use of stop motion to explore the dreams of Stephane are truly innovative and inspiring stuff.