The Science of Sleep (2006)

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

Stars:

Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Miou-Miou

7 wins & 7 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 | dream world | neighbor | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | giant hand | 

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Taglines:

Close your eyes. Open your heart.

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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:

Warner Bros.

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French English Spanish

Release Date:

29 September 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Science of Sleep

Filming Locations:

Chérence, Val-d'Oise, France

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

€130,814 (Italy), 21 January 2007, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$347,925, 24 September 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,663,809, 17 December 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Partizan Films, Gaumont, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (US prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Acquired by Warner Independent Pictures at 2006 Sundance for $6 million.

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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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Alternate Versions

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

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Anne Hathaway/Gael García Bernal/Madison Bumgarner/Stevie Nicks (2014)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Plot summary is inaccurate

The plot summary says that the lead character is "held captive by people in his dreams." That's not so. Stephane just can't tell the difference between his dreams and reality. He is attracted to a girl and wants to move toward a relationship, but is hampered by this problem.

This film is not at all like "Waking Life" or "Eternal Sunshine." It's like Gondry's music videos, playful and eye-popping. There's no dark conflict, as implied by "held captive." I enjoyed it a lot, though because of the essential nature of the plot, it's a bit hard to follow, which diffused the impact of the story.