La science des rêves (2006)

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writer:

Michel Gondry (written by)

Release Date:

16 August 2006 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Close your eyes. Open your heart.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Neighbor | Show | Bed | Dream World

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

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

Also Known As:

The Science of Sleep (UK) (USA)
L'arte del sogno (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity.

Runtime:

USA:105 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS (US prints)

Certification:

UK:15 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Netherlands:MG6 | Finland:K-7 | Norway:A | Hong Kong:IIA | Sweden:7 | Ireland:15A | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Peru:14 | USA:R (certificate #42692)

Filming Locations:

Chérence, Val-d'Oise, France

Company:

Partizan

Trivia:

One of the people on the posters in the destroyed house with all the broken records is a young Vanessa Paradis.

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 day... mixed with some memories from the past.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Soundtrack:

If You Rescue Me

Pure artistry.

There is no surprise in Hollywood's ignoring this film for awards and honors. None at all. This film does not speak Hollywood's language, because it speaks the language of art, not the language of money. It is brilliant. It is entertaining. It is visually hypnotic. It is insightful. These qualities cannot be found in today's blockbusters. Bernal is endearing and funny. Gainsbourg is beautiful in an intensely real light. The pace of the film is exquisite. I also had the pleasure of watching the 'Making of...' documentary on the DVD. Michel Gondry's subtle genius shines brilliantly in the interviews. The techniques employed to achieve the effects in the film are amazingly un-Hollywood. I have a new respect for French film-making. Added to the wonders of Jeunet are the wonders of Gondry. I cannot recommend this film strongly enough to anyone with a sense of humor and imagination.