The Science of Sleep (2006)
“La science des rêves”.
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy |
The Science of Sleep is a surrealistic science fantasy comedy film written and directed by Michel Gondry. The film stars Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Miou-Miou, and Alain Chabat. The film stems from a bed-time story that was written by Sam Mounier, then 10 years old.
Stéphane Miroux, played by Gael García Bernal, is a shy and insecure young man whose vivid dreams and imagination often interfere with his ability to interact with reality. After the death of his divorced father in Mexico, Stéphane agrees to come to Paris to live closer to his widowed mother Christine. Shortly after he is coaxed back to his childhood home, his mother finds him a job in a calendar printing company in France. Stéphane prepares his colourful drawings after being told by his mother that the position at the new job is a creative role. Stéphane’s colourful drawings each consist of a disaster, for his newest invention: a “disasterology” calendar”. However, nobody at his new job appreciates his talents and it transpires that his mother had led him on – the real vacancy is for nothing more than mundane typesetting work, leaving Stéphane at an uncreative and colorless new job.
While leaving his apartment to go to work one day, Stéphane offers help to his neighbor moving a piano into her apartment. Due to lack of strength and masculinity, Stéphane injures his hand. The new neighbor, Stéphanie, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, invites Stéphane into her apartment (unaware that he lives next door) where her friend Zoé tends to his wound. While getting his hand taken care of, Stéphane initially forms an attraction to Zoé, though he suspects it is instead Stéphanie who likes him.
Director: Michel Gondry
Writer: Michel Gondry
Stars: Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Miou-Miou, Michel Gondry, Alain Chabat, Emma de Caunes, Pierre Vaneck
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 |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia