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Science of Sleep, The
Stars: Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Director: Michel Gondry
A major comedown for director Gondry after Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this is a truly awful French surrealist comedy, mainly in the English language, with Gael Garcia Bernal as a Mexican in Paris whose dream world mingles with reality until he has trouble distinguishing between the two.
Gainsbourg, as the plain-Jane object of his affections just across the hallway, speaks beautiful English, but can't act in it, as Bernal eventually finds success as the designer of calendars in which every month has a painting (by him), which celebrates such disasters as earthquakes and exploding planes.
This is pretentious, painfully naive and, let's face it, just plain bad. Veteran actress Miou-Miou, as the hero's mother, is an oasis of calm in the undisciplined madness around her.
David Quinlan
France 2006. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Colour.
106 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.
Review date: 11 Feb 2007