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Post by The Ghost of LLC on Mar 4, 2007 5:58:37 GMT
La science des rêves The Science of Sleep Michel Gondry 2006 France/Italy 2nd time A young man disillusioned by the seperation of his dreams and reality falls in love with his neighbor.
Gondry never fails to deliver a stunning visual experience. In this, his third feature film, he goes a step beyond the optical illusions of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and ends up with something of a mash up between the cityscapes of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, the set of a mid-90s Gilliam flick set in the future, and a warped Tim Burton claymation from the most foul depths of hell. And I like it. The dream sequences are lucid yet surreal, and seem to maintain a hyperactive yet Zen-centered atmosphere for the viewer. It’s all too realistic to an actual dream; the proportions of the set, the textures of props, the dialogue, the illogical but strangely subconscious coherency of their premises… it is all very intriguing. But, Gondry’s latest work isn’t just flash and visual appeal. It would appear as if he plots out a unique personality and dialogue for each of his characters. I can almost imagine what each of these characters are doing in their time off screen, perhaps when they are at home opposed to in the scene. And of course, a self-deprecating sense of humor about your characters can go a far way.
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Apr 7, 2007 13:35:50 GMT
La science des rêves The Science of SleepMichel Gondry 2006 France / Italy An insecure, Mexican artist moves to France and falls in love with his neighbour in his dreams.
This and Eternal Sunshine share a common emotional impact in the way they unfold: in a very casual manner, strikingly original in form and hilariously written and performed, so that any real emotional weight is accumulated as the narrative progresses in its deceptively nonchalant manner, and, come the climax of both films, an attachment has formed between viewer and film which seemingly wasn't on the cards at all. It's utterly refreshing stuff, energetic and perceptive, and determined to subvert expectations, from things such as overall narrative pattern to smaller details such as conventions of fictional character. At first, the ending might seem abrupt and unsatisfying in confirming that the narrative has been overwhelmed by its own fantasies ("when is it going to go back to reality?"), similar to, say, Videodrome, but it's written so as to be open to a hell of a lot of interpretation - what seemingly takes place during one night of dreams might actually be a collection of memories of real events, filtered into one dream-like narrative... that's the science of sleep, after all. Visually meticulous, emotionally complex, sharply written and excellently performed.
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