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September 25, 2006

The Science of Sleep

Gondry's follow-up to Eternal Sunshine does not disappoint

By Tram

I suppose what it all boils down to are preconceived notions and expectations.

Although Michel Gondry's latest feature film, The Science of Sleep, received relatively good reviews, a fine share of critics; as well as moviegoers; were left disappointed. Many of 'em probably expected another Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a collaborative effort between Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman, and what they got in return, however, was pure Gondry.

This is not to say that Eternal Sunshine does not bear any Michel Gondry trademarks. A number of visual tricks Gondry utilized in his music videos, including forced perspective and time-lapse photography, were put to use once again. The biggest difference between Eternal Sunshine and Science of Sleep, nonetheless, appears to be the degree of Gondrian style used: in the former, Gondry's organically dream-like visuals merely reinforced Kaufman's sci-fi device of memory erasure and decay; whereas in the latter, Gondry's visuals convey a rambunctiously creative mindset; and to anyone not well-acquainted with Gondry's bold signature visuals in his music videos, it can be very overwhelming.

In Science of Sleep, the aforementioned mindset belongs to Stephane, a twentysomething year old man-child (played to earnest perfection by Gael Garcia Bernal), who returns home to his divorced mother and childhood Parisian apartment, following his father's death from cancer. During his stay, Stephane's mom promises him a job as an illustrator at a local calendar company. The job, however, turns out to be less than promising: it is a typical 9-to-5 office gopher slot, and Stephane, under such circumstances, is forced to comply.

Stephane has a habit of switching to dream mode when waking life is too banal, and work, it appears, is no exception. Gondry playfully concocts a dream life for his hero, replete with stop-motion animation, projection tricks and yes, familiar characters from his own waking life (Stéphane's boss, co-workers, and new next-door-love interest).

Some critics, whom were obviously less than enamored by Gondry's animated concoctions in Science of Sleep, have since expressed their concern about how "narcissistic" and "puerile" the film is at long stretches. But I'd argue here that the dreams can only be deemed narcissistic if removable from any context, whatsoever. During the dream sequences, Gondry self-reflexively plays up its ego-centric nature to a comic effect (i.e. Stephane bossing his bosses around at work, the love interest delivering countless kisses upon both of his cheeks on a ski trip).

Science of Sleep is not so much an homage to dreaming as it is a bittersweet tale of what happens when an individual is unable to differentiate between the real and unreal, between what he wants to have and what he, ultimately, cannot have. For Gondry, the dream state is a double-edged sword: it may nourish Stephane's fragile, neurotic ego, for all that we know, but it can also, to a devastating effect, create an irreversible barrier between him and the outside world.

The unattainable object of Stephane's affections is Stephanie (Charlottte Gainsbourg, the lovely epitome of jolie-laide), who resides in the same apartment as he does (his mom is her landlord). Stephane and Stephanie both share a love for the creative and whimsical, and it is nowhere more apparent than in their playful interactions with Stephane's crafty toys. But the stars do not seem to align for the two; Stephane sends Stephanie mixed signals on two separate occasions. First, he falls head over heels for her friend, oblivious to the fact that Stephanie is, in fact, the one for him. And then, upon such a realization (call it "love at second sight"), he finds himself performing a series of embarrassing missteps that alienate the once enchanted Stephanie.

In light of Science of Sleep's sad ending, it is apt to say that for all of Eternal Sunshine and Science of Sleep's narrative and stylistic differences, the two converge at their bittersweet endings. I shall quote my much more articulate friend in his succinct description of why Gondry's romantic vision stands out: "Michel Gondry is quickly carving his own voice in the world of romantic filmmaking- that of an artist who understands as much about what destroys love as he does about what makes it so beautiful to be in to begin with."

In Eternal Sunshine, the opposites-attract match of Joel and Clementine disintegrate after they find one another's polar personalities (Joel is bland and reserved; Clementine, colorful and impulsive) to be unappealing with the passing of time.

The same can be said here in Science of Sleep; the similars-attract pairing of Stephane and Stephanie hit a nose-dive, once Stephanie realizes that Stephane's fanciful dreams are too spiraling for her tastes. As passive voyeurs, we are simply left with fragments of happy memories that in its uniquely bittersweet way; explain why these two people can no longer be together anymore.

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