Rating of
3.5/4
Hand-Made Art
Ghost Seed - wrote on 09/25/08
This film, as is the case with all Gondry works to date, is absolute charm and artistic-one-of-a-kind-gorgeousness.
The Science of Sleep is the first film to creatively capture my own foolish, over-romanticized ideas of love and relationships. It is almost painfully relatable at times, and the strikingly realistic acting makes such moments of beautiful reality that much more embarrassing.
Having been a huge fan of Bernal & Gainsbourg already, my devotion was further solidified after seeing them act in such an artistic project. Bernal in particular, displaying such vulnerability yet somehow maintaining a subtle dignity as Stephane, must have been a challenge. (Not that he was the first, but under such a modern, unique directing style, he deserves credit - what an excellent choice for this role!) The casting of Gainsbourg (as Stephanie) with her natural, cool, earthy style created a low-maintenance sexy character that comes off as a perfect fit for Stephane...but of course, things aren't always as they seem.
The visuals are like no other. Dream-like and engaging, they induce something out of childhood, with their hand-made crafty feel. Yes, his music video past is evident here, but the story, also written by Gondry, is glaringly personal - giving the movie even more heart and emotion.
This is a highly underrated film...what a shame.
