  |
 |
The Science of Sleepby Scott Gleine
Growing up around Cleveland does not usually provide one with a chance to experience the latest when it comes to cinema. Now, I hate to do the obligatory online film critic thing and talk about myself for a few paragraphs, but I feel like I need to at least explain how I was able to see this film so far in advance. If you want to see something other than Tom Cruise Saves the World from Random Terrifying Threat #8, there are two places you can go in Cleveland. There is the Cedar Lee Theater, which showcases independent and foreign films, and there is the Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art, which shows alternative cinema that is usually from the past couple of years. They also bust out the occasional Criterion edition once in a The Internet Movie Database describes the plot of the film as this: "A man held captive by people in his dreams tries to wake himself up and take control of his own imaginings." I have no idea where they came up with this, because though the film is about dreams, the plot is nothing like this at all. The film is about a young man named Stephane, who has problems sorting out his dreams from his every day life. He meets his attractive, free spirited neighbor Stephanie and falls for her, but his inability to organize his dreams from reality gets in the way, along with various other complications. So at its core, the film could be considered a romantic comedy, but it is by far the wildest that the genre has ever seen. In fact, it is also probably one of the most deeply complex, unique, and visually inventive films of our time.
Gael Garcia Bernal, easily one of the most consistently terrific actors on the planet, portrays Stephane with a mixture of childlike exuberance and social awkwardness. In a way, he has to perform a delicate balancing act between "Dream Stephane," who is confident and in control of his alternate reality, and "Real World Stephane," who is shy, reserved, and unable to articulate his love for the girl next door. Stephane tries to integrate his creativity into real life with graphic design projects (including the most darkly funny calendar idea I have ever heard) and inventions that don't really work unless you believe they do, such as the one second time machine ("Because those seconds add up…and life is too precious"). Each dream sequence is one bizarrely fascinating set piece after another. Thankfully, these aren't full of random gags and stop motion tricks just for the sake of being weird. They offer a great deal of depth to Stephane's psyche while also being flat out hysterical. To attempt and explain some of these sequences would take numerous pages and also ruin the fun. They have to be seen for themselves. There are also moments where as a viewer I was uncertain if the scene I was watching was a dream or reality. This works perfectly, because by putting the audience in the same state of uncertainty as Stephane, we are right there with him trying to figure out his problems, such as whether or not Stephanie has feelings for him. Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg (Stephanie) have excellent chemistry in their scenes together, whether they are real or in dreams. Gainsbourg brings an enigmatic quality to the role that keeps us equally interested in Stephanie. Basically, you want these two to work things out and be together, kind of in the same way that I found myself pulling for Joel and Clementine to work things out in Eternal Sunshine. Gondry proves again that in addition to his visual quirks, he is able to handle the complex interactions between individuals in a believable and realistic fashion. This time, he is able to do so from his own script, without most of the credit being passed on to Charlie Kaufman. Going into the film, I was skeptical as to whether or not it would equal his previous work. I am happy to say that my expectations were vastly exceeded. With this film, I really feel that Michel Gondry is well on his way to becoming one of the new masters of cinema. It is hard to say how the masses will react to this film. Every person in the theater that I saw it in was laughing consistently throughout the ENTIRE FILM. This was, of course, an art film audience. Either way, I feel as if I will not be alone in praising this film. There is plenty of emotion and poignancy mixed in with all of the craziness that should make the film resonate particularly well for a lot of people. After leaving the Cinematheque, I was filled with a sense of euphoric delight that I have not felt since the first time I saw Eternal Sunshine (I promise that is the last comparison). The film really does stand on its own as a work of pure creative genius that is completely unlike anything I have ever seen. I cannot shake it from my head, nor do I want to. Oddly enough, I feel that seeing it early has filled me with greater anticipation for its actual release date so that I can go see it several more times and pick up on its nuances and lines of dialogue that I certainly missed due to all of the laughter that was surrounding me. That is really all that I feel I can say about the film at this point. I don't want to ruin anything for those that plan on seeing it. See it as soon as it hits your local art house theater, and see it often. If you're like me, you'll be equally mesmerized by its whimsy, humor, and heart. You'll also wish that your mind could be capable of having dreams as interesting as Stephane does. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
