The genius that is Michel Gondry has returned to the world of fictional film. His last film was the excellent and uplifting concert/documentary Dave Chappelle's Block Party. His newest film has a trailer out that has me salivating to see the whole thing.
This is a film that came out of nowhere. I wasn't even aware that Gondry had another film coming up this soon. His last fictional film is one that only took one viewing to make me fall in love with it. That film was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Yeah, I know, the title is something of a mouthful, but the film is original, intelligent, sweet, and incredibly entertaining. It starred Jim Carrey as a man who undergoes a procedure to erase an ex-girlfriend from his memory. Enough about that.
Gondry's upcoming film is entitled The Science of Sleep, and it stars Gael Garcia Bernal as Stephane Miroux. It is the story of a man who has a very active imagination, and is held captive by his own fantasies. He attempts to wake up and take control of his life back. He also seeks the affections of his attractive neighbor.
The trailer puts the strange and bizarre front and center, starting with Stephane, a cooking show host, calling himself, waking him from his slumber. There are glimpses of other strangeness including cardboard cars, Stephane swimming through the air, and his inability to interact with others. It displays a wonderful visual style which belies the sweetness it is sure to contain.
Bernal is an incredible actor, one who thus far has been worth seeing in whatever he's been in. This outing does not appear to be any different. Also in the cast is Charlotte Gainsbourg, as Stephane's love interest, Stephanie.
The trailer is up at Apple, including a high definition version. The Science of Sleep is being distributed by Warner Independent Pictures. The movie is scheduled to open on September 22, 2006 in limited release.
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