The Science of Sleep (2006)
"La science des rêves" (original title)

A man entranced by his dreams and imagination is lovestruck with a French woman and feels he can show her his world.

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writer:

Michel Gondry

Stars:

Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alain Chabat

6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gael García Bernal	...	Stéphane Miroux
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Stéphanie
Alain Chabat	...	Guy
Miou-Miou	...	Christine Miroux
Pierre Vaneck	...	Monsieur Pouchet
Emma de Caunes	...	Zoé
Aurélia Petit	...	Martine
Sacha Bourdo	...	Serge
Stéphane Metzger	...	Sylvain
Alain de Moyencourt	...	Gérard (as Decourt Moyen)
Inigo Lezzi	...	Monsieur Persinnet
Yvette Petit	...	Ivana
Jean-Michel Bernard	...	Piano-playing Policeman
Eric Mariotto	...	Policeman
Bertrand Delpierre	...	Présentateur JT

Storyline

Following the death of his father in Mexico, Stéphane Miroux, a shy insecure young man, agrees to come to Paris to draw closer to his widowed mother Christine. He lands a boring job at a calendar-making firm and falls in love with his charming neighbor Stéphanie. But conquering her is no bed of roses for the young man and the only solution he finds to put up with the difficulties he is going through is escape into a dream world...

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Plot Keywords:

dream | french | mexico | neighbor | dream world | 

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Taglines:

In dreams emotions are overwhelming.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Gaumont Columbia Tristar [fr] Official site [es]

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French English Spanish

Release Date:

16 August 2006 (France)

Also Known As:

The Science of Sleep

Filming Locations:

Chérence, Val-d'Oise, France

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£130,139 (UK) (16 February 2007)

Gross:

£130,139 (UK) (16 February 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Partizan Films, Gaumont, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS (US prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rhys Ifans was set to play the lead role. He worked with Michel Gondry on the first drafts of the script and came up with the name for the movie. He is thanked in the closing credits.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Stephane: ¡Un, dos, tres, cuatro!
[Stéphane plays the drums, then the piano, then moves the cameras. "Stéphane TV"]
Stephane: Hi, and welcome back to another episode of "Télévision Educative". Tonight, I'll show you how dreams are prepared. People think it's a very simple and easy process but it's a bit more complicated than that. As you can see, a very delicate combination of complex ingredients is the key. First, we put in some random thoughts. And then, we add a little bit of reminiscences of the ...
[...]

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Connections

Spoofs Brazil (1985)

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Soundtracks

"Steppin' Out"
Performed by Kool & The Gang
Written by Robert Kool Bell (as Robert E. Bell), Ronald Bell (as Ronald N. Bell),
J.T. Taylor (as James W. Taylor), George Funky Brown (as George M. Brown),
, Eumir Deodato, Robert Spike Mickens (as Robert Mickens), Claydes Smith (as Charles J. Smith)
(c) 1981 EMI Longitude Music
By permission of EMI Music Publishing France SA
All rights reserved
(p) 1981 UMG Recordings Inc.
By kind permission from Universal Music Projets Spécieux

User Reviews

Don't let that vote fool you

This is a perfect example of a love-it-or-hate-it movie simply because its very nature means it's somewhat plot less -- we're constantly unsure if what we're seeing on the screen is really real or just in Gael Garcia Bernal's dreams, and some moviegoers abhor uncertainty, hence I think the large number of "1" votes for this flick. (Also, the film is ostensibly foreign, but moves from French to English with equal measure, with a little bit of Spanish tossed in, too. So maybe the shifts in language also irked some people, but I found it enchanting.) So don't let those low votes fool you; this is a beautiful, sublime film, and if you let yourself go onto its wavelength, you'll most likely find yourself *enjoying* the (perhaps unsolvable) visual puzzle Michel Gondry has created here. It is the quintessence of magical realism, and yet everything comes across as absolutely effortless, unlike the forced whimsy of, say, last year's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the too-clever-by-half Adaptation. I dare say it's probably one of the best films of the year.