La Science de Rêves (The Science of Dreams)

With a name like this, what do you expect from this movie? Dreams, dreams and dreams. But, what are dreams? Something very personal… and in this film are very personal, as dreams could be visions of a fantastic voyage, a silly nightmare or anything in-between.

This film, directed and written by Michel Gondry of Human Nature and the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind fame, is an oneiric voyage of a young man that “since he was 6, he’s inverted dreams and reality” as Stephane’s (Gael García Bernal) mother (Miou-Miou) wisely reveals… and to me this is the clue to the whole movie as at times is hard to know if he is dreaming or living in his awkward reality. This obviously happens when the director is not using those cardboard visual oddities.

I am not a Bernal fan… but, I have to admit that this role was fantastic for him and his performance is charming (loved when he spoke garblish French) and credible as he was really unafraid to play this immature character. I had a hard time with French actors Charlotte Gainsbourg and Alain Chabat as their English speaking distracted me, it sounded too phony, too inappropriate and too confusing. But, let me be clear, I think that the multi language speaking in this movie was an outstanding and an integral part to sustain the craziness of this movie. Is just that I feel that the French actors did not performed English, they just speak it like if they were speaking French and they are two languages with extremely different rhythm.

By the way it seems that in France this movie was dubbed and it caused a stir scandal as most consider it inappropriate. I have no idea why they dubbed this movie but I can imagine that it lost one important component of its essence and originality.

I believe this is a movie that you would love or you would hate and after reading the usual sites, I found to be right. There is no middle ground for critics and viewers. But there is always an exception and in this case is me. I stand in middle ground as liked the movie if I consider it as a comedy (I laugh, laugh and laugh!), but if I consider it as a drama, romance or art cinema genres, then I did not enjoyed that much as it was too bizarre for my taste.

So, if you are seeking for something unusual in your movie watching diet, this is a dish that you may want to chew… if this is the case, be sure you will savor it!