Parallel Synchronized Randomness

The Science of Sleep

France / USA, 2006 (105 minutes)

Sunday June 18, 6:30pm The Neptune

"Do you shave with toast?"

Every second of Michael Gondrey’s, The Science of Sleep is a riot of clever originality, right down to the bedroom light switch! Stephane Miroux’s (Gael Garcia Bernal) mother persuades him to leave Mexico for Paris by promising him a creative new job. Of course it’s untrue, "I glue paper in a basement all day!" Stephane exists in the blur between reality and his fantasy dream world, where he imagines himself the host of a TV show. He falls in love with his beautiful neighbor Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) after a ridiculous piano moving incident, but his overtures are sadly, more fantastic than real. Stephane’s bizarre inventions, paintings, insane co-workers, a quirky, eccentric blend of animation, hilarious dialogue and its constant multi-lingual confusion fuel his obsession for her, but also his paralyzing fear of rejection. Sweet, funny and sad, The Science of Sleep is an entertaining cacophony that could warm Godard’s cockles!

"A bird in the hand …"
"… is worth my bush."

"Randomness is very difficult to achieve."