DVD review (region 2)
Directed by Michel Gondry
Starring Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alain Chabat, Miou-Miou
Release date 25 June 2007

Insecure artist Stéphane Miroux’s arrives in Paris following the death of his father. He becomes obsessed with his neighbour Stephanie, a situation made more complicated by the fact that Stéphane’s waking life and dream life are often interchangeable…

The Science of Sleep is a wacky, whimsical mess of a movie that sometimes feels like an extension of one of Michel Gondry’s early Bjork promos. Yet the French director is more than just a bold surrealist. His previous movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, demonstrated a surprisingly rare talent for distilling the excitement, frustration and confusion of being in love - the antithesis to the processed cheese approach of a Richard Curtis comedy. The Science of Sleep doesn’t quite have the barmy brilliance of Eternal Sunshine, but Gondry has nevertheless created another captivating love story (this one, for the most part, unrequited) that is sweet but never sickly.

Gael García Bernal’s Stéphane is an insecure character, prone to dreamy flights of fancy and childish outbursts. He makes for an unusual protagonist, alternatively hyperactive and tearful, though Bernal’s initially winsome act begins to grate as the movie progresses. Gainsbourg, though, is perfect as the shyly believable Stephanie. Sweet, funny and creative, she’s a joy to watch, and the fact that we learn so little about her character’s background only adds to the mysterious appeal.

The other main attraction in The Science of Sleep is Laura Faggioni’s charming stop-motion animation. From floating cotton wool clouds to crawling felt typewriters, these enchanting DIY creations encapsulate all the magic and romance of dream life, and lend the movie a unique appeal.

Bernal, Gondry and occasionally Gainsbourg speak over each other in the DVD commentary without ever really offering any clear suggestions as to what the film is about. Much better is the 'Making Of' documentary that traces Gondry’s initial concepts through to the finished movie, and also the feature on Faggioni’s textile-based creations. Linda Serbu’s cat-themed Rescue Me video is a slightly sugary oddity, much like the movie itself. Matt McAllister

VERDICT: 7/10
A strange romantic comedy that’s light on plot but buzzes with imaginative energy.