The Science Of Sleep

It may seem like men are the stronger sex. We’re the ones who, traditionally, do the hard, back-breaking labor while women raise the kids. (Not that that’s not back-breaking.) We’re the hunters while they’re the gatherers.

But in some ways women are FAR stronger.

Take being friends with someone you’re heavily attracted to for instance. Women will run off and date other guys while they secretly have a crush on one of their male friends. They might even have many male friends that they are attracted to.

We, on the other hand, will have that one girl that we always hold on a higher level than all others. Sure, we’re friends with her, but we’re also so attracted to her that sometimes we just forget all of the other women around us. We always hold out hope that, someday, she’ll come around. No matter how many of our friends say, “She’ll never date you.” we still believe.

We’re cock-eyed fucking optimists when it comes to being in love with a friend. We’re pussies.

Only a man who has had his mind broken by a good friend could come up with a movie like The Science Of Sleep. Fuck When Harry Met Sally. THIS is what it’s really like to be in love with a good friend. You’re on an all-time high when you’re with her and an all-time low when you’re not. You love being around her, but you hate not being able to be with her.

Michel Gondry understands this. And he knows that all guys have gone through it at least once in their lives.

Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal) is just such a guy. But he has the (maybe) good fortune of also being unstuck in his dreams. He sometimes can’t tell his dreams from his reality. So there are times that he believes that his friend and next door neighbor, Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), is in love with him. Then there are times that he believes that she hates him. All he knows for sure is that he is quickly falling in love with her. The more they hang out together the stronger his feelings get. And the more confused he becomes as to what’s real and what’s not.

As with Gondry’s other films, Human Nature and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, there is a heavily surreal side of the story. Stephane’s dreams sometimes take place on the set of “Stephane TV.” Others take place in more fantasical places of Stephane’s mind. But they all involve Stephane’s coworkers and Stephanie.

Stephane’s coworkers at his dead-end calender type-setting job are an interesting crew. There’s Guy (Alain Chabat) who is the voice of reason/crass asshole of the bunch. He is also Stephane’s best friend besides Stephanie. The other two, Martine and Serge (Aurelia Petit and Sacha Bourdo), are constantly called gay by Guy. He doesn’t seem to care that one is male and the other female. To him, they are the same.

Of course, after Guy offers to have Martine give Stephane a blowjob, Stephane puts her in his dreams as an unwanted sexual predator.

So, let’s go over the women in this movie. I think it tells a lot about where Gondry is coming from.

First and foremost, there’s Stephanie. She’s awesome. Totally creative and a perfect match for Stephane in every way. When he comes to her with his crazy ideas, she sees them for the strange genius that they really are.

Then there’s Zoe (Emma de Caunes), Stephane’s original obscure object of desire. She is beautiful, but she’s a tease. She has a boyfriend, but she’s not letting Stephane know that. She actually wants Stephane to hook up with Stephanie, but she thinks it’s awesome that he wants her.

Stephane’s mother (Miou-Miou) lied to get him to come to France. She told him that she was going to get him a great, creative job when all she got him was a type-setting job. She’s pretty conniving, too.

Martine is asexual everywhere but in Stephane’s dreams. Then she becomes some kind of weird-ass sex kitten. But, after Stephane starts to really fall for Stephanie, Martine becomes just another character in his dreams. No sexuality at all.

That’s it. Those four women. And they make up most of Stephane’s world. Three of the four somehow hurt him. The one who doesn’t is called gay.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

The Science Of Sleep is an amazing, emotional movie. There’s not a bad performance or false move in the film. Anyone who has ever had their heart broken should be in line to see it. I already can’t wait to see it again.