Movie Review: The Science of Sleep

The Science of Sleep: Torgo approves

The world's a better place for having Michel Gondry.

His music videos (The White Stripes, Bjork, Foo Fighters, etc.) and his movies (that I've seen: "Eternal Sunshine" and "Science of Sleep") are visually compelling. More than that, they're visually fun. He takes full advantage of special effects and even low-tech effects to make things that don't show off what he can do (like a Spielberg) so much as utilize special effects to convey theme and tone.

Whereas "Eternal Sunshine" uses splashier, computer-generated effects, "Science of Sleep" opts for stop-motion, simple cardboard and paper, and basic optical illusions. The effect is that this movie has an innocence and charm at its core.

When the lead (Gael Garcia Bernal) dreams his hands are huge, it's even the same props Gondry used in the Foo Fighters' "Everlong" video, so not only is it low-tech, it's recycled.

I feel like I appreciate "Science of Sleep" more for having seen "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," where Gondry was in front of the camera, going through the process of creating a film. I was more willing to go along for the wacky ride.

M-N isn't a huge fan of this one, though she likes "Eternal Sunshine." Her complaint is valid: the dream sequences intersect with the non-dream sequences so chaotically, especially during the first half, that it can be difficult to find an entry point. Plus, it's a tri-lingual movie, with Bernal a native Spanish-speaker, Charlotte Gainsbourg a Brit, and mostly everyone else being French. All three languages get jumbled, again, especially in the first half.

I studied all three of those language, so that helps.

But I find the first half bothersome, too. It's complicated by the final act, in which the dream sequences mostly disappear, and the basic love story at the movie's heart is left on its own. I wonder how developed that story truly is, and how much I care after taking so long to get a grip on the movie.

Ultimately, though, I'm always a sucker for stories about awkward, creative boys who fall for girls in creative, awkward ways -- that just speaks to me.