Review of Science of Sleep

Science of Sleep was an interesting film about an artist who has trouble telling the difference between dreams and reality. It is a film from Michel Gondry, who you might know from his more commerically successful Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The best parts of the movie are the expressionistic dream sequences which reveal the creative talent of Gondry. The opening sequence where he shows viewers how he makes dreams is excellent. I found myself enjoying the film most when the film went off into these flourishes of Stepane's dream world. The animations and delusions brought the viewer deep into the psyche of Stephane and made you empathize with his plight. Whatever explanation could be put forth about Stephane's delusions; is he schizophrenic? Delusional? Why doesn't he just grow up, etc.?

Aside form Stephane, there are the women in the picture, whom I think Gondry presents as mistreated. Stephanie, played by Charlotte Ginsbourg, suffers the brunt of Stephane's delusions. He breaks into her apartment, he insults her in the last sequence, he lies to her. Stephanie must deal with Stephane's craziness. Stephane's mother also suffers mistreatment from men in the film. First from Stephane's father, then from her current boyfriend, and, finally, from Stephane when he abruptly leaves to go back to Mexico.

The final scene when Stephane and Stephanie ride the horse onto the boat leaves the viewer with the impression that they have gotten together. Like the whole movie we don't know whether this is reality or if it is just another one of Stephane's delusions.

I think this movie is another triumph for Gondry. It has a similar style to Sunshine, but it is more expressionistic. In Sunshine, we know what is dream and reality. In Science the line between reality and fantasy becomes blurred beyond rationality. We don't know when Stephane is dreaming or when he is awake. Yet, both films are similar in the presentation of youth in a nostalgic sense. Both have scenes of the main characters going back to when they were children, like a time of innocence. This is a them used in both movies. They present a realist depiction of contemporary life. In both movies there is a struggle to survive in bourgeosie reality. In Science, Stephane works as calender maker which he hates. This struggle for survial in a professional sense, as an artist, and for a satisfying love life reveals Stephan as an outsider to bourgeosie society. He never fits in totally, so he goes back to Mexico. He finds neither success as an artist nor love in France.