Science des rêves, La (2006)

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writer:

Michel Gondry (written by)

Release Date:

16 August 2006 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Close your eyes. Open your heart.

Plot:

A man entranced by his dreams and imagination is lovestruck with a French woman and feels he can show her his world.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Animal Costume | Watching TV | Video | Dream World

Awards:

4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Gael García Bernal	...	Stéphane Miroux
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Stéphanie
Alain Chabat	...	Guy
Miou-Miou	...	Christine Miroux
Pierre Vaneck	...	Monsieur Pouchet
Emma de Caunes	...	Zoé
Aurélia Petit	...	Martine
Sacha Bourdo	...	Serge
Stéphane Metzger	...	Sylvain
Alain de Moyencourt	...	Gérard (as Decourt Moyen)
Inigo Lezzi	...	Monsieur Persinnet
Yvette Petit	...	Ivana
Jean-Michel Bernard	...	Piano-playing Policeman
Eric Mariotto	...	Policeman
Bertrand Delpierre	...	Présentateur JT

Directed by
Michel Gondry

Writing credits
Michel Gondry		(written by)

Produced by
Georges Bermann	....	producer
Frédéric Junqua	....	co-producer
Inigo Lezzi	....	line producer

Original Music by
Jean-Michel Bernard

Cinematography by
Jean-Louis Bompoint

Film Editing by
Juliette Welfling

Casting by
Nathalie Guillaume
Julie Navarro

Production Design by
Ann Chakraverty
Pierre Pell
Stéphane Rosenbaum

Costume Design by
Florence Fontaine

Makeup Department
Maya Benamer	....	key makeup artist
Simine Commien	....	makeup artist
Aurélie Rameau	....	makeup artist
Céline Rothfuss	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robin Accord	....	post-production manager
Attila Egry	....	unit production manager
Benjamin Krecke	....	unit manager trainee
Inigo Lezzi	....	production manager
Cyril Merle	....	production manager: animation

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bertrand Delpierre	....	first assistant director
Thomas Lipmann	....	second assistant director
Christopher Schepard	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Lauri Faggioni	....	creator: animals and accessories
Bruno Guillemet	....	sculptures

Sound Department
Damien Bera	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dominique Gaborieau	....	sound
Benoit Gargonne	....	dialogue editor
Jean Gargonne	....	sound editor
Guillaume Le Bras	....	sound
Marion Lorthioir	....	post-synchronisation
Guillaume Sciama	....	sound
Jean-Noël Yven	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Jean-Gabriel Saint-Paul	....	visual effects coordinator

Stunts
Cedric Proust	....	stunt coordinator
Florian Robin	....	stunt double: Gael García Bernal

Camera and Electrical Department
Patrick de Ranter	....	steadicam operator
Etienne George	....	still photographer
Cyril Leguennec	....	key grip
Loïc Lepechon	....	generator operator
Miriam Matejovsky	....	video playback operator
Kathy Sebbah	....	assistant camera
Thierry Trelluyer	....	camera operator: second camera
Valerio Villalba	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Marie-Pierre Frappier	....	assistant editor
Marjolaine Mispelaere	....	color timer
Yann Thauvin	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Jean-Philippe Audin	....	musician: cello solo
Jean-Michel Bernard	....	conductor
Jean-Michel Bernard	....	music arranger
Catherine Cantin	....	musician: flute
Khalil Chahine	....	musician: guitar
Marc Chantereau	....	musician: cymbal
Michel Gondry	....	musician: drums
Christophe Guiot	....	musician: violin solo
Philippe Hervouet	....	musician: guitar
Basile Leroux	....	musician: guitar
Bruno Martinez	....	musician: clarinet solo
Bruno Mercere	....	music recordist

Other crew
Raffi Adlan	....	assistant: Michel Gondry
Stéphanie Bermann	....	assistant: Gael Garcia Bernal
Amélie Couvelaire	....	assistant: Georges Bermann
Tatum Drouilhat	....	assistant: Michel Gondry
Carole Fevre	....	script supervisor
Karl Sigwald	....	production assistant
Géraldine Stivet	....	location manager
Cameron Watson	....	dialogue coach: English

Thanks
Rhys Ifans	....	thanks: for the title "The Science of Sleep"

Production Companies

• Partizan
• Gaumont (co-production)
• France 3 Cinéma
• Mikado Film (as Mikado Film)
• Canal+ (participation)
• TPS Star (participation)

Distributors

• Gaumont International (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Gaumont (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Home Video (GCTHV) (2007) (France) (DVD) (special edition: with "version B")
• A-Film Distribution (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Four Films (2006) (Chile) (all media)
• Kadokawa Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Monopole-Pathé (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Pachamama Cine (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2006) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Tarantula Films (2006) (Mexico) (all media)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) (2006) (USA) (all media)
• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)

Special Effects

• Partizan Lab (digital special effects)
• Éclair Numérique (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Astralwerks  soundtrack
• Taunori Evénemment Traiteur  catering

Also Known As:

Arte del sogno, L' (Italy)
The Science of Sleep (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity.

Runtime:

USA:105 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (US prints) | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #42692) | Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:M | Ireland:15A | Norway:A | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:MG6 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Hong Kong:IIA | Peru:14 | UK:15 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | South Korea:15 | Sweden:7 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Chérence, Val-d'Oise, France

Company:

Partizan

Trivia:

Michel Gondry didn't use any chroma keys in this film (excepts the one you see explicitly in Stephane TV), but he screened the FX sequence (already done before the shooting with step-by-step method) behind the actors, so that they could see it and not imagine it, which gives them a different way of playing their parts.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Stephane: ¡Un, dos, tres, cuatro!
[Stéphane plays the drums, then the piano, then moves the cameras. "Stéphane TV"]
Stephane: Hi, and welcome back to another episode of "Télévision Educative". Tonight, I'll show you how dreams are prepared. People think it's a very simple and easy process but it's a bit more complicated than that. As you can see, a very delicate combination of complex ingredients is the key. First, we put in some random thoughts. And then, we add a little bit of reminiscences of the day... mixed with some memories from the past.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Soundtrack:

If You Rescue Me

Beyond art

This film is beautiful, intricate, fun - all at the same time. It hits the mind and pulls the heart strings on so many levels - while still managing to make a whole cinema audience laugh loudly, frequently and unreservedly. Michel Gondry has created something really wonderful here, the kind of film worth seeing again and again.

The Science of Sleep is trying to do something quite different to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but there's definitely something of the same feel. Certainly the level of exquisite artistry is comparable, but maybe it's also the amount of care and sincerity that has been invested in the inner lives of the film's characters.

This director/writer never sells anyone short, say, by using a character or situation just as a plot or artistic device. Instead the characters' growth and flow of ideas are what build the story, always treated with a touch that is loyal and genuine. You begin to feel loyal to them yourself, to have a sense of them as very real people in whose ultimate well-being you have a very involving stake.

That's all I really need say about the film, though I'd point out that the few negative comments I've seen below really weren't worth reading. Reservations I can understand (as everyone's different, right?) but these naysayers are clearly emotionally, intellectually and artistically stunted. Most likely they can't comprehend a work that doesn't fit their prescribed and limited framework for film appreciation - the sort which demands that progression be made through exactly the crude plot and character devisings which this film avoids. In fact, I don't think the Science of Sleep even studiously avoids them - it is simply a mile above such considerations. The film works on every level - and if you're even halfway to normal with your own emotional development you'll get what's good about this.