Saturday, July 14, 2007

Review: Science of Sleep

We liked Michael Gondry's “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” I’m loving Gael Garcia Bernal in "Y Tu Mama Tambien" and "Motorcycle Diaries."

So, what happened here? Honestly, I went to sleep.

Parallel Synchronized Randomness (PSR). Bernal’s character Stephane lives in a world of wake and sleep. He believes his neighbor Stephanie is picking up parts of his dreams, which is the PSR concept. The movie starts well, but then gets weirder. Some parts are fun, but bringing the story together is difficult. One site called it a romantic comedy, but I felt it was more about rejection - act of wanting and rejecting and hoping.

And if you’re like me and woke up in the middle of the movie, it’s confusing whether you’re dreaming or Stephane is dreaming or awake.

I liked Charlotte Gainsbourg who was in "Jane Eyre” with William Hurt. There’s something odd, appealing and endearing about her. I don't think anyone else would have been better suited for such a complex character. We really see only what Stephane sees/dreams about Stephanie.

I watched the DVD features on the making of this movie and it confused me even more. There is so much work involved in making a movie. There were intricate animated scenes that were shot separately and merged into the story. It was apparent these demanded extensive work to create and film.

The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are pretty good for this movie, so we have to wonder what we don't get. I remember my dreams pretty well, so maybe that's why I was confused? Mine make more sense? Can someone make a movie about mine next?

Maybe we're thinking too hard and should just let our subconscious roll with it.

1 comment:

ZenDenizen said...

Thanks for your take on this. I heard mixed reviews, too and I was disappointed. I typically don't like chick flicks but "I'm with Lucy" was a fun role for him.