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{{otheruses4|the film|scientific information about sleep|Sleep}} |
{{otheruses4|the film|scientific information about sleep|Sleep}} |
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{{Infobox Film |
{{Infobox Film |
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| image = Scienceofsleeppromo.jpg |
| image = Scienceofsleeppromo.jpg |
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| caption = ''The Science of Sleep'' Theatrical Poster |
| caption = ''The Science of Sleep'' Theatrical Poster |
Revision as of 15:23, 28 January 2008
if you are reading this your a fucking freak | |
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Directed by | Michel Gondry |
Written by | Michel Gondry |
Starring | Gael García Bernal Charlotte Gainsbourg Alain Chabat Miou-Miou Emma de Caunes Aurélia Petit Sacha Bourdo |
Cinematography | Jean-Louis Bompoint |
Edited by | Juliette Welfling |
Music by | Jean-Michel Bernard |
Distributed by | Gaumont (France) Warner Independent Pictures (US) |
Release dates | 16 August 2006 22 September 2006 16 February 2007 |
Running time | 106 min. |
Country | France |
Languages | English, French, Spanish |
Budget | USD $6,000,000[1] |
Box office | USD $14,626,386[2] |
The Science of Sleep, or La Science des rêves (literally The Science of Dreams), is a 2006 film, written and directed by Michel Gondry. The film stars Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Miou-Miou and Alain Chabat.
Plot summary
Stéphane (Gael García Bernal), a young man whose vivid dreams and imagination often interfere with his ability to interact with reality, is coaxed back to his childhood home, France, after his mother finds him a job. The job turns out to be a very mundane position at a small company that manufactures novelty calendars. He initially assumes he will be working creatively, and even prepares twelve colorful drawings, each showing a disaster, for "disasterology" calendar. However, neither his co-workers nor his boss appreciate his talents and he is set to work cutting and pasting strips of paper. While leaving his apartment to go to work one day, Stéphane attempts to aid two men who are having trouble carrying a piano up a flight of stairs, but by doing so, ends up injuring his hand while the piano falls down the flight of stairs. The owner of the piano is Stéphane's new neighbor, Stéphanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who invites Stéphane into her apartment (not knowing he actually lives next door) where her friend Zoé (Emma de Caunes) tends to his wound. Stéphane initially forms an attraction to Zoé, though he suspects it is instead Stéphanie who likes him.
While visiting Stéphanie's apartment on a later occasion, Stéphane realizes that she, like he, is creative and artistic. They plan a project for use in a short animated film. Unfortunately for Stéphane, Stéphanie suggests that it's best if they begin working on it another day. Following the advice of Guy (Alain Chabat), Stéphane's sex-obsessed co-worker, Stéphane pretends that he isn't Stéphanie's neighbor, pretending to leave the building when he leaves her apartment. That night when he is intoxicated he writes a note to Stéphanie that portrays him as a jerk. He closes the letter with "...and could I have Zoé's number." Stéphanie reads it after Stéphane slides it under her door. Stéphane realizes his mistake and retrieves the letter with a coat hanger, unknowingly with the help of Stéphanie.
Though some portions of this are surrealistic, and others are naturalistic, the viewer is never certain of which portions are real; even the seemingly realistic sections may be merely dreams. Stéphane becomes more enamored with Stéphanie as he spends more time with her and shares his many inventions with her. He gives her a "one-second time machine" as a gift. He asks her repeatedly if she will marry him, a proposal that she consistently rejects. Stéphane's dreams become more encroaching on his waking life as he tries to win Stéphanie's heart. He breaks into Stéphanie's apartment, takes her small, stuffed horse and builds a motor into it. While putting it back into her apartment, Stéphanie arrives and catches him, shocked, calling him "creepy." Embarrassed and heartbroken, Stéphane retreats to his apartment where he receives a call from Stéphanie who apologizes and thanks him for the gift she discovers: a galloping version of "Golden the Pony Boy," named after Stéphane.
Waking and dreaming become even more intermixed. To Stéphane's surprise, the calendar manufacturer accepts his "Disastrology" idea and it becomes a great success. A party is thrown in his honor, but he becomes depressed and begins drinking excessively after he witnesses Stéphanie dancing flirtatiously with another man. Stéphane and Stéphanie then have a confrontation in their hallway when Stéphane announces that he doesn't want to be Stéphanie's friend any longer. Stéphanie becomes very upset, offering Zoé's phone number and reciting Stéphane's note. Stéphane, still unaware that Stéphanie has read the note, assumes that they are connected through "Parallel Synchronized Randomness", a rare phenomenon he has discussed on Stéphane TV, an imaginary television program that Stéphane hosts, produces, and performs music for. Stéphanie offers that they discuss their issues on a date, but on Stéphane's walk to the café to meet her, he has a frightful and sudden realization that she isn't there and she doesn't love him. He runs back to her apartment and bangs on her door, demanding that she stop torturing him, though, in actuality, she is indeed waiting for him at the café. Angrily, Stéphane runs full speed into her door, injuring his forehead. Tired of waiting, Stéphanie returns home. Stéphane finally decides that he's had enough and prepares to return to Mexico.
Before leaving, Stéphane's mother (Miou-Miou) insists that he say goodbye to Stéphanie. In his attempt to do so, he becomes extremely crass as he makes sexual jokes and makes comments about her breasts being "friendly and unpretentious." She insists he leave to catch his plane, though he instead jumps on her bed. Pleading for her to touch his hair, Stéphanie tells him she can't do that, and desperately asks why Stéphane chose her. He responds, muffled under the covers, "Because everyone else is boring, and because you're different... and you don't like me Stéphanie," with a final heartbroken crack in his voice. Stéphane then spots two items on the bedside: the boat with the forest inside of it and his one-second time machine. He then falls asleep on her bed. As Stéphanie climbs to the top, observing the sleeping Stéphane, she touches his hair gently. Stéphane dreams of himself and Stéphanie riding on Golden the Pony Boy and sailing on the white boat, off into the ocean's horizon.
Soundtrack
The score to The Science of Sleep was composed by Jean-Michel Bernard.
The song "Instinct Blues" by the The White Stripes is featured in the film.[3]
Trivia
- The dream sequence in which Stéphane's hands become giant was inspired by a recurring nightmare director Michel Gondry had as a child. Gondry had previously incorporated aspects of this dream into the music video for the Foo Fighters' 1997 single "Everlong".
- Stéphane has the record sleeve "How Soon Is Now?" (by The Smiths) above his bed. This track is dedicated to the awkwardness of shyness and its inherent beauty.
- Stephanie's horse, Golden the Pony Boy, is a reference the S.E. Hinton novel The Outsiders.
See also
References
- ^ "Science des rêves, La (2006) - Box office / business". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- ^ "The Science of Sleep (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- ^ "Science des rêves, La (2006) - Soundtracks". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-06-07.