The Science of Sleep

Right, so I watched this film because a friend suggested it on her blog. Now, normally I don't do this, but I thought you might want a heads-up on this one. Its about this guy who has a condition where he merges reality with dreams. There is a fancy name for it, naturally, but it is completely irrelevant. The film reminded me a bit of Amelie, as to me not understanding what the overall storyline was and thoroughly enjoying what I was seeing. Was it as good? No. Was the acting particularly good? No. Was the plot good? Well... no. So what do I think of it? The best film I have seen this year. And I'm not joking, I have seen some damn good films this year, "Inglorious Bastards", "Public Enemies" and "Angels and Demons" only a few to mention. Yet, this is a good contender for bringing home the money.

Let me explain. First of all, I enjoyed the dream sequences so much. They are so wonderfully random and yet seeming to make perfect sense, just as we question nothing obscure that occurs in our dreams, but accept it as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Paintbrushes used as drumsticks seems to make perfect sense because they have the same quality of making the soft-hitting sound as those drumsticks that are actually meant to do that. Yet they are completely wrong, there is no point in having them there. Paintbrushes aren't supposed to be there. The detail to which these sequences are planned is simply exceptional. And the use of cardboard is simply stunning.

Another thing that simply blew me away was the dialogue between the "show" going on inside his head (his thoughts) and the reality. The window-eye system was ingenious and the cuts of Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) walking through a door in the dream into a situation in the real life nothing short of a masterpiece. The dialogue extends into the plot in a similar way the brain actually works. Our dreams deal with problems in our real lives and his dreams provided a multitude of solutions, endings, options to solve his unfortunate crush on Sephanie.

When I started watching this film it seemed as if I had made my mind up on disliking it but it made me laugh and simply enjoy the shear nothingness of what is currently in front of my eyes. The plot has no real backstory, the timeframe the film depicts - Stephane meeting Stephanie and the development of the relationship on the backdrop of Stephane's new job - well, let's just say that other films may have told the story in 10 minutes with time to spare. But I simply... or should I say thoroughly? Yes, I'm sticking with thoroughly... THOROUGHLY enjoyed every second of the film. Every movement, every new concept, every new scene made me smile inside in a way not many things can make me do.

So last, but definitely not least, the "fuzziness" of the film - the abstract in the dream sequences. I do not think magnificent would be an exaggeration here. The felt creatures, even the "scary" spider-like-typing-legs-hairy-thing in the cave. I mean, don't you just want to take all of that stuff and put it in a room somewhere in your house because it is just so nice and cozy-looking? I know I do.

My friend said on her blog: "Fancy something a little alternative? Try this out." I don't care whether you are into alternative, popular, weird, mainstream or anything else, or you don't watch films at all but happened to read this. I encourage you, I urge you, I command you... do yourself a big favor and watch this film!