The Science of Sleep

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9 out of 10

The Science of Sleep is the screen writing debut of director Michel Gondry. If you have seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a film he directed with scriptwriter Charlie Kaufmann you will have some idea of what to expect.

It is the story of Stephane who has had problems confusing dreams and reality. Stephane returns to Paris where he meets his neighbour across the hall, Stephanie. Like most films where romance plays a central theme the enjoyment you get out of the film will rest with the two main characters. A fantastic performance by the two leads Gael García Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg and the way in which their relationship develops makes this completely compelling.

It has come under-fire as being pretentious and self-indulgent. However the film is visually stunning (as you may expect from a director that has made his name from making Music Videos), has an intriguing concept, three dimensional characters and is quite unlike anything else out there. If this is a ‘Love it or Hate it’ movie then put me firmly in the former camp.

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