L'arte del sogno

One of the most important things to note about this is that it is not meant to be a mainstream piece. If you like Charlie Kaufman and/or Michel Gondry(as I do, I love the latter's approach and style, and it is immensely evident here; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favorite films), this is for you. No, there is little real plot. This is delving into the mind of the lead, and in doing so, exploring emotions(including complex, ambivalent ones) and his relationship with a woman. Ah, not just any, she may be the one. Shifting back and forth between imagination and reality, this is often intentionally disorienting about which we're seeing at that specific time. There is marvelous ambiguity in this. The visuals are amazing, creative, and always perfectly conveying the mood that they are supposed to. Excellent stop-motion animation. The actors(who all deliver impeccable performances) actually got to see what their realistically written(not all likable) and nicely fleshed out characters were meant to be seeing, so they could react to it, not merely "pretend it's there". This is in English with a bit of French and occasionally Spanish, and both are subtitled. The editing is spot-on. There is a little sexuality, infrequent strong language and brief male nudity in this. I recommend this to anyone who believes that this medium can be an artform. 8/10

This is a perfect example of a love-it-or-hate-it movie simply because its very nature means it's somewhat plot less -- we're constantly unsure if what we're seeing on the screen is really real or just in Gael Garcia Bernal's dreams, and some moviegoers abhor uncertainty, hence I think the large number of "1" votes for this flick. (Also, the film is ostensibly foreign, but moves from French to English with equal measure, with a little bit of Spanish tossed in, too. So maybe the shifts in language also irked some people, but I found it enchanting.) So don't let those low votes fool you; this is a beautiful, sublime film, and if you let yourself go onto its wavelength, you'll most likely find yourself *enjoying* the (perhaps unsolvable) visual puzzle Michel Gondry has created here. It is the quintessence of magical realism, and yet everything comes across as absolutely effortless, unlike the forced whimsy of, say, last year's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the too-clever-by-half Adaptation. I dare say it's probably one of the best films of the year.

THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP (Michael Gondry - France/Italy 2006).

There's something magical about this wonderfully sweet romantic fantasy by Michael Gondry. A love story, emotionally rich with dazzling dream-like visuals, done the old-fashioned way with simple stop-motion animation techniques. We see Stéphane flying above his cardboard imagination of Paris and later, we see him sitting in the bathtub full of silver cellophane. It's Gondry's first film as writer-director after a two-feature partnership with Philip Kaufman. Not surprisingly, it feels a bit Kaufmanesque, as Gondry's previous "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", but now dreams have replaced memory.

Stéphane can hardly make the distinction between his own dreamworld and the outside reality and doesn't know a whole lot about love. For no apparent reason he lies to Stéphanie that he lives next door to her, which results in some comic situations. He also wants to be an inventor and so he gives her his 3-D glasses, 'but the world is already in 3-D', she replies. He is a man-child, unable to adjust himself to the everyday realities of the outside world.

Ultimately the relationship between Stéphane and Stéphanie ends in a kind of stalemate, and so does the film itself. How do you end a film? With most films I can't wait till it's over, but here it seemed like the last twenty minutes got lost in the editing room. A very abrupt ending. The film might have a bit of an unsatisfying resolution, but Gondry creates magic here. It's the dreamworld that makes this rise above the level of just another romantic comedy, and it's funny, very funny. The breathtaking stop-motion animation is a feast for the eye and the sets and creations are wonderful to look at. The film had me in a permanent smile.

Camera Obscura --- 8/10

There is no surprise in Hollywood's ignoring this film for awards and honors. None at all. This film does not speak Hollywood's language, because it speaks the language of art, not the language of money. It is brilliant. It is entertaining. It is visually hypnotic. It is insightful. These qualities cannot be found in today's blockbusters. Bernal is endearing and funny. Gainsbourg is beautiful in an intensely real light. The pace of the film is exquisite. I also had the pleasure of watching the 'Making of...' documentary on the DVD. Michel Gondry's subtle genius shines brilliantly in the interviews. The techniques employed to achieve the effects in the film are amazingly un-Hollywood. I have a new respect for French film-making. Added to the wonders of Jeunet are the wonders of Gondry. I cannot recommend this film strongly enough to anyone with a sense of humor and imagination.

This movie had a lot going for it. The art direction was incredibly fun and creative, and overall the movie looked great and had a very unique vision. It was cute and quirky and definitely made me laugh out loud at times while at other times it made me feel awkward and tense in the best possible way.

The dream sequences were fun and blended with reality in a very seamless and engaging way (though on a personal level I prefer the way dreams were portrayed in Waking Life). And while on the surface the love story was thoughtful and true (and I could even relate to it in some ways), the problem for me was that I just couldn't sympathize with Bernal's character, Stéphane. I couldn't really see where Gainsbourg's character, Stéphanie, was coming from either. While their interaction was at times endearing, I just didn't feel like I had to root for them. Still though, there was enough charm in this movie that that fact didn't ruin the movie for me.