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The Science of Sleep

R Released Sep 22, 2006 1h 45m Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance List
70% Tomatometer 165 Reviews 81% Audience Score 100,000+ Ratings
Soon after the death of his father, a distraught young man (Gael García Bernal) begins a job as a graphic designer, but has little chance to create. His intense dreams begin to overtake his waking life and he becomes increasingly caught up in flights of fancy. His hyperactive imagination then begins to interfere with his courtship of a pretty neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Read More Read Less
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The Science of Sleep

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Critics Consensus

Lovely and diffuse, Sleep isn't as immediately absorbing as Gondry's previous work, but its messy beauty is its own reward.

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Critics Reviews

View All (165) Critics Reviews
Brian Tallerico UGO A creative, original work by a filmmaker with a fantastic visual flair who refuses to stick to any typical cinematic patterns, even if it's sometimes to a fault. Mar 24, 2007 Full Review Wendy Ide Times (UK) Gondry always manages to maintain a childlike wonder in the magic of creating a moving image, and never is it more evident than in this film. Rated: 3/5 Feb 16, 2007 Full Review Nick Curtis London Evening Standard It's all lovely to look at, but becomes progressively wearisome. Rated: 2/5 Feb 16, 2007 Full Review Rosa Parra Latinx Lens A bold film that's elevated because of Bernal's unexpected stellar performance. Rated: 3/5 Aug 15, 2021 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com I dare say that years from now The Science of Sleep will be seen as a daring, bold and visionary film. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 22, 2020 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter Science of Sleep is almost overstuffed with visual delights. If you can sit through it once, you may get hooked and have to drag yourself away from the theatre, the way Stephane has to drag himself out of bed. May 12, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Liam D This is what writer and director Michel Gondry (Dave Chappelle's Block Party, The We and the I) does best a whimsical and creative film with a stand out performance by Gael García Bernal (Vamps, Casa De Mi Padre) Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/28/21 Full Review Audience Member Gondry's work is as usually smart, intricate and touching. Mindbreaking production with lots of artefacts made physically instead of using computer technology adds to a surrealistic feeling of a dream happening. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm not sure exactly what I think of this movie. It definitely has a unique visual style merging stop-motion animation with live action and the characters are engaging and charming. There's even a charming storyline about a love struck young man, trapped in a dead end job who escapes into a fantasy dream world where his imagination comes to life but I found the plot jarring and disjointed. I kept willing for something to tie the story together but it rather failed to do so and, as a whole, the movie is a bit of a miss, entertaining though it may be. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member This reminds me of my childhood all this excitement and creativity we used to have back those days , this movie is so well designed and directed according to its title that this really seems real yk.It has this beautiful feeling that may be every viewer share in the credits I was smiling and crying at the same time , it is beautiful and if you ever feel down in your life watch this movie it remind you all the good stuff about life. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Poignant insight into your mind my love Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review kyle v Reviewed 10.12.17. Michel Gondry has left his innovative mark on cinema, and that's not hyperbole. At the same time, I find myself let down by his inability to recapture the magic of his first (and only) great film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He's basically the hipster version of M. Night Shyamalan. His movies, like this one, are always visually innovative, even inspirational in their creativity. But he struggles to weave together his disparate tones. And although I can appreciate non-linear story lines, the disjointed delivery should serve a narrative purpose. But often it feels the plot is simply incomplete; flimsy; almost secondary to the images themselves. The Science of Sleep's central trope is clever, and it elicits both humorous and charming moments. Regrettably though they wane in the third act, with the transition of Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) from childlike to immature. The proceedings mope across the finish line, whereas Eternal Sunshine soared. Here's hoping Gondry has a second classic in him. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Science of Sleep

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Soon after the death of his father, a distraught young man (Gael García Bernal) begins a job as a graphic designer, but has little chance to create. His intense dreams begin to overtake his waking life and he becomes increasingly caught up in flights of fancy. His hyperactive imagination then begins to interfere with his courtship of a pretty neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg).
Director
Michel Gondry
Producer
Georges Bermann, Michel Gondry, Frederic Junqua
Screenwriter
Michel Gondry
Distributor
Warner Independent
Production Co
Partizan, France 3 Cinéma, Gaumont
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Some Sexual Content)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 22, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 2, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.7M
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, DTS
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