The Science of Sleep

Michel Gondry again displays astonishing visual style in this romantic fantasy that follows the attempts of Stephane (Bernal) to reconcile his burgeoning dream-world with a harsh reality in which he struggles to win the affections of his neighbour Stephanie (Gainsbourg). This is Gondry's first attempt at adapting his own screenplay and it occasionally suffers from uneven plotting, depending on commendable performances from Bernal and Gainsbourg to provide emotional depth, while an inspired turn by Alain Chabat, as Stephane's chauvinistic co-worker, supplies the laughs. It may lack the inventiveness of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind but this is Gondry the artist unleashed, and the frequent forays into Stephane's surreal dream-world are both arresting and enchanting. A sumptuous cinematic feast. [Colan Mehaffey]