Here and There

Saw Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep last night. It was one of those very-close-to-perfect moviegoing experiences, and I feel compelled to write something about it.

The movie elegantly blended plot with superficial elements, leaving behind an effective and thoroughly enjoyable experience.
What I mean is that the film was filled with visual and aural wonders, yet also maintained a tangible storyline, as well as some commentary on life.

The performances were great, too. As Stephane, Gael García Bernal again proves his expanding range, taking on a comically plagued individual, playing him slightly more comically than tragically. Stephane’s multi-linguality and “condition” render him a most sympathetic character.

Charlotte Gainsbourg (daughter of Serge) did well with Stephanie, whom we see as more or less a dual-personality. See the film and you’ll know what I mean.

The supporting cast was so amusing. Notable were Guy (Alain Chabat) and Serge (Sacha Bourdo), at times taking the comedic elements of the movie over the top.

It’s a movie as much about waking life as it is about dreams, about the way the two depend on each other and are forever symbiotically tied together. It questions the divisions between our cerebral experiences both in and out of sleep.

The Science of Sleep lacks the name-recognition afforded to Gondry’s last effort, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But it makes up for it in getting every element of excellent filmmaking right. It makes you laugh, it might make you cry, and most of all, it makes you think, though not too deeply.

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