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‘The Science of Sleep’

A French film starring Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal (also in “Y Tu Mama Tambie”n), “The Science of Sleep” is a mix of fantasy, romance, and dreams coming to life. The last bit is not as much terrible cliche as it is a psychological disorder that Stephane (Bernal) has that keeps him from distinguishing dreams from reality. This allows Stephane, an introverted and socially awkward individual, to narrate his life as he tries to woo his new neighbor, Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg).

A particularly memorable scene of this movie is when Stephane is showing Stephanie a school-grade type project he’s working on. He struggles with his piano, trying to get the “perfect chord” and, once he finds it, a cotton ball cloud along with blue pieces of cellophane start levitating as Stephane and Stephanie laugh. Scenes like this, in which it’s unclear whether it is a dream or reality or a brilliant mix of the two, are what keep the movie together and keep it flowing.

—Candice Bautista, Editor