7.3/10
67,167
224 user 133 critic

The Science of Sleep (2006)

La science des rêves (original title)
Trailer
0:32 | Trailer
A man entranced by his dreams and imagination is love-struck with a French woman and feels he can show her his world.

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writer:

Michel Gondry
7 wins & 8 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

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Cast

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

Following the death of his father from cancer, Stéphane - Mexican on his father's side, French on his mother's side - agrees, despite his less than proficient use of the French language, on his mother's request to move back to France from Mexico, she not only letting him live in her apartment in his old bedroom in the building she owns while she stays with her current boyfriend Gérard, a magician, but she having found him a job using his graphic art skills at a calendar shop. The job ends up not being quite as she had made it out to be - it more a dead end menial job - but Stéphane is still able to eke out a friendship of sorts with his new coworkers, especially Guy, the senior employee, a bully of a man-child who obsesses about sex and who becomes Stéphane's confidante. Concurrently, Stéphane strikes a friendship with his neighbor, Stéphanie, and her friend, Zoé, Stéphane and their friendship stemming out of some mistruths, including the two artistically inclined women not divulging ... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Close your eyes. Open your heart. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The song that Stephane writes for Stephanie is sung to the tune of "After Hours" by The Velvet Underground, which is also featured in the movie's trailer. See more »

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...
[...]
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Alternate Versions

The French DVD edition present a alternate version of the film made of B-roll footage. See more »

Connections

Featured in MsMojo: Top 10 Unconventional Romance Movies (2019) See more »

Soundtracks

J'ai Deux Amours
Music by Vincent Scotto
Lyrics by Georges Koger and Henri Varna
(c) Editions Salabert
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User Reviews

 
a lot of eye candy, less heart candy
3 October 2006 | by michaelbrysonSee all my reviews

This movie had a lot going for it. The art direction was incredibly fun and creative, and overall the movie looked great and had a very unique vision. It was cute and quirky and definitely made me laugh out loud at times while at other times it made me feel awkward and tense in the best possible way.

The dream sequences were fun and blended with reality in a very seamless and engaging way (though on a personal level I prefer the way dreams were portrayed in Waking Life). And while on the surface the love story was thoughtful and true (and I could even relate to it in some ways), the problem for me was that I just couldn't sympathize with Bernal's character, Stéphane. I couldn't really see where Gainsbourg's character, Stéphanie, was coming from either. While their interaction was at times endearing, I just didn't feel like I had to root for them. Still though, there was enough charm in this movie that that fact didn't ruin the movie for me.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

France | Italy | USA

Language:

French | English | Spanish

Release Date:

29 September 2006 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Science of Sleep See more »

Filming Locations:

Chérence, Val-d'Oise, France See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$347,925, 24 September 2006

Gross USA:

$4,670,644

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,116,179
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS (US prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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