Monday, October 02, 2006
Review: The Science Of Sleep
I have a problem writing about Gondry’s new film The Science of Sleep, an impressively whimsical tragedy-of-imagination which so perfectly portrays those moments when you fall for someone, love at first sight if you will, and the pre-relationship moments between two people that I continually thought “My god, how many times have I felt that?”
This happens for me with Gondry’s other films, too. In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, he creates a near-pure vision of romantic love, to which I can think of no equal in film. I previously attributed this to Charlie Kaufman, and certainly he had a lot to do with it, he being the writer of Gondry’s last two films, the aforementioned ESotB and the good-but-lacking primal relationship film Human Nature. Both of those films tackle the absurdity of love, the irrationality behind it, and The Science of Sleep does the same. Gondry shows a consistent ability to present emotion in interesting ways, even Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Gondry's incredible documentary, shows the beauty of raw philanthropy.
The film’s basic premise; which I won’t speak too much on, because this films quality comes from experience alone, and you should read as few descriptions of it as possible, is that Gael García Bernal, a young man who has problems dissociating his dreams from reality, moves into his mother’s apartment in Paris and he meets a girl. That’s all I’m letting out, because to discuss any of the individual moments of the film would be a detriment to it. Suffice it to say that Gondry’s method of showing dreams, of Bernal’s escaping from reality and trying to get a grip on both his dream world and his real one is incredible. He blurs the lines between dreaming and waking in such a fun way that it’s amazing that it doesn’t come off as camp. These moments go from being strange to tender in mere seconds, displaying more emotion through a single dream sequence than some directors can do in an entire film.
And then there are the performances. Bernal’s work here is incredible, he plays Stefane with such a mature whimsy, bringing the right amount of childishness to a confused and in love adult male who really shouldn’t be acting how he is. There’s an additional reason for his lost-ness, one that seems to be a sub story of the film, but is really what the film is about. The confusion manifests itself at work; where an excellent cast of French actors you’ve never heard of reveal Stephane’s confusion in the same way that moments in dreams interpret real life. There’s sexual desire, intense fear of failure, even perhaps a repressed homosexuality that comes through via the cast’s enigmatic performances. Stephanie, the object of Stephane’s desire is also quite good here. Reminiscent of Anna Karina in Band of Outsiders in that I am completely engrossed by her beauty and her quirkiness, she lets you fall in love with her in just such a way as to let you understand Stephane’s trepidations a little bit more.
Admittedly the film has an immature vision of love in that it is raw and pure, emotions are in complete control here. I can see this being a deterrent, but I doubt it would be. Gondry discusses the emotions of love with an honesty I haven’t seen since Woody Allen’s heyday, and even then the most notably honest words on love were self-deprecating. Here, they’re honest for honesty’s sake.
It truly is a wonderfully inventive film, and it doesn’t rest on its surface premise of a man who has problems discerning reality. It becomes a brilliant portrait of blossoming love and erratic feelings that is at most times frustrating and tender. I wish I could allow myself to talk about the dream sequences, as they are incredibly well imagined and the stop motion animation used is on par with Gondry’s work on White Stripes videos, which should say enough right there. Michel Gondry has become one of my favorite directors. He made my favorite music video (The Chemical Brother’s “Star Guitar”), and has gone on to make three of the very best films of the last 5 years.
9.5 Aristurtles out of 10
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