The Science of Sleep

There are strange movies that inspire me, and then there are strange movies that I watch, but I'm not as enthusiastic about them. The playfulness of the movie "Science of Sleep" is incredible, but I still felt that it was really only about the playfulness and nothing else. If it weren't for the crazy ideas, surrealism in an unbelievable form, it wouldn't be about anything at all. But that's actually what it's about, right? Sometimes an original story isn't important, sometimes it's crucial to have an original form, an original concept. "Science of Sleep" is an original film, whose concept comes from the mind of Michel Gondry, a man who must have an incredible imagination. It's definitely not proven by "The Green Hornet," but "Science of Sleep" is an hour and three-quarter-long dream. Weird things happen, things that don't make sense at first glance, but aren't dreams like that? It's as if the whole film comes from our subconscious. Gael García Bernal, the brilliant performer of Ernesto Guevara in "The Motorcycle Diaries," once again showed here how interesting of an actor he is and delivered a performance that allows this very peculiar film to be watched until the end. He is superbly supported by Charlotte Gainsbourg, who I simply adore. I'm not saying she's my absolute favorite, but I always look forward to her film performances. If she is a protege, then deservedly so, because she certainly knows how to act. She demonstrated that with Lars von Trier and she repeated it for me in the movie "Science of Sleep." It's not a film that will become my favorite, but for once it was a pleasant experience that I enjoyed, an experience like being at a trippy party, even though in reality it is a romantic comedy with dramatic, even tragic, and psychological elements. This categorization is quite crazy, but sometimes it's fun. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/12/motocyklove-deniky-proposition-v-zajeti.html (02/03/2013)

When I saw Michel Gondry’s video for the song “Army of Me” by Icelandic diva Bjork years ago, I knew this man was an original filmmaker with a unique visual sense and the soul of an overgrown child. His latest film proves that the brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was no fluke, and that as co-writer of the Oscar-winning screenplay (along with Kaufman), he certainly had no small part in its final form, because the same can be said about The Science of Sleep. You won't see anything so charmingly light-hearted, almost childishly playful and visually engaging nowadays, and I can't think of another contemporary filmmaker, with a few exceptions, who could be compared to Gondry in terms of unbridled imagination. I admit that this rather crazy love story (if it can be called that at all) is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy slightly different films, don't mind unusual narrative techniques and like to indulge in dreams, this is an obvious choice. And for this elegant open resolution of the strange relationship between the two leads (the uncharacteristically beautiful and charismatic Bernal and Gainsbourg), Gondry deserves an accolade. This film, or rather its acceptance/non-acceptance, will show you where you stand with your child in your soul. (09/04/2007)

Although the directing is excellent, the acting great and the atmosphere perfectly set, there is still a long way to go to complete perfection... Even though Gondry’s screenplay is good, it’s simply incomparable with the spotless perfection of Kauffman’s masterpiece Eternal Sunshine. Of course it wouldn’t be completely fair to compare The Science to Sunshine. Mainly it’s completely different and, above all, very well made. You don’t warm to Stephan and Stephanie as much as to Joel and Clementine, but it’s not due to their acting skills, but instead because the couple in this movie are just genuine nut cases. But they’re cute. The dream sequences are, once again, perfectly evoked and they are what make The Science of Sleep a must see movie. (12/12/2006)

If Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was trivially shallow, then The Science of Sleep is trivially strange. But beautifully strange. The half-dream story of a crazy boy and a crazy girl, whose souls fit together like a jigsaw puzzle (unfortunately, essentially not in a waking state), was conceived very eccentrically by Gondry and, in my view, he just barely missed the mark. The collage rampaging is funny, I feel close to the characters without exception, and the story pleasantly affected me (although by no means did it make me fall to my knees). The Science of Sleep is a very pleasant film, where all centrifugation does not end in strangeness, but with sympathetic weirdness. I was able to identify with it, and thereby Gondry's film got my attention. (12/09/2008)