After “Young Sherlock Holmes” where we followed the detective's adventures as a young boy, and “Basil The Great Mouse Detective” where we followed his adventures as a mouse, Sherlock Holmes gets another reinvention as a action film hero in this uneven romp from director Guy Ritchie. Robert Downey Jnr plays the eponymous London detective, with Jude Law taking sidekick duties as Dr Watson. The two are drawn into a strange plot involving the mysterious Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong,) a villain previously hung for murder who appears to have come back from the dead and is embarking on a devious plot that is bad news for the citizens of London.
The plot is pretty flimsy and and the three screenwriters responsible seem to realise this as they pay minimal attention to the story and concentrate more on the lead characters. Robert Downey Jnr does a good job as Sherlock Holmes, an eccentric genius who's very handy with his fists in this interpretation. Downey brings across the detective's two sides, the buffoonish clown and the intelligent sleuth, very well and is a pleasure to watch on the screen. Jude Law has a drier role as Dr Watson but he brings a down to earth quality that helps anchor the film in reality. Mark Strong makes a menacing if one note villain but he's sadly given too little screen time to make much of an impact. The pretty Rachel McAdams makes a forgettable appearance as a sort of love interest to Sherlock Holmes. Her character is a bit of a mess, she is not in the film long enough to get any romantic frisson going between herself and Holmes, and sadly McAdams acting is sub-par and fails to bring across any emotions or motives. She appears to be shoehorned into the film to offset the “Boys Own” feeling the majority of the film has.
Director Guy Ritchie does a solid job of controlling the chaos on screen. He handles the action scenes fairly well, especially the all action finale which includes a well done fight on a partially built Tower Bridge. Although the films' marketing pitches it as a action film there's more talking than fighting. Unfortunately the film falls a little flat when there's no action on screen, the pacing is uneven and some of the scenes can drag. Thankfully the main meat of Sherlock Holmes, the sleuthing, is handled well and it's entertaining to see Holmes piece together the clues. There's also some fun scenes where Holmes will play out in his mind how he's going to take out a bad guy (aiming for weak spots, predicting his moves.) We see these thoughts Holmes is playing out in his mind, and then we see it again as Holmes actually carries out his plan.
The cinematography and set design is excellent, with Victorian London brought vividly to life. There's also a good soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Overall Sherlock Holmes is a decent effort at breathing new life into the detective although the uneven pacing and the villain not getting enough time to make a strong opponent to Holmes does let things down.
Monday 28 December 2009
Thursday 17 December 2009
Review - The Incredible Hulk
Ang Lee's 2003 take on the big green brute was a strange affair, a methodical look at a man desperately grappling with the demons within him while chucking in some action sequences where a big CGI monster runs around throwing tanks at helicopters. Although the film was a misfire it at least tried to do something different and had decent performances from Eric Bana and a scenery chewing Nick Nolte. This film is not a sequel to Ang Lee's effort but instead a retelling of the Hulk story. Sadly it's a rather bland and unoriginal affair which doesn't take full advantage of its talented cast.
Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner/The Hulk. The film opens with a brief recap of how the unfortunate Bruce takes part in a experiment that goes wrong, which leaves him turning into a big green brute whenever he gets angry. We join Bruce in Brazil, where he is searching for an antidote for his unusual condition. Unbeknownst to him he is being chased by the fanatical General Ross (William Hurt) who wants to capture Bruce for experimentation in creating a new breed of super soldier. Ross has brought in ruthless and slightly unhinged soldier Emil Blonksy (Tim Roth) to help capture Bruce. They eventually find Bruce who promptly goes on the run and ends up back in the States, and running into his former girlfriend Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) who was present at the fateful experiment. Bruce continues his work to cure himself of the Hulk while trying to avoid the clutches of General Ross and Blonsky, who eventually becomes a hulking mutant himself called The Abomination.
The plot is straight forward and dispenses with the character development element that Ang Lee's movie went for, instead concentrating on wham bam action sequences. Sadly the action just isn't very exciting. Like in Ang Lee's film the Hulk is completely CGI generated, but he isn't very convincing. His first appearance is shrouded mainly in darkness which actually works quite well, but a big daylight scene in the middle of the movie looks unnatural. The CGI overall is mediocre which detracts from the enjoyment of the action scenes. The final showdown between the Hulk and the Abomination is fairly well done and exciting in parts, but it's a rather dull slog before we get there.
The acting ranges from average to poor. Edward Norton, who also had a hand in the script, is not a very engaging Bruce Banner and comes off as a bit of a dullard. Tim Roth, normally quite an intense actor, is oddly subdued as Blonsky, and never seems as dangerous as his character implies. William Hurt does a good job as General Ross, giving a suitably cartoony performance which plays well. He also sports a rather fabulous moustache. Liv Tyler is largely awful as Betty, providing an astonishingly wooden and wimpy performance. She isn't served well by the script but that's no excuse for such a poor performance.
This film really should have been called “The Mediocre Hulk.” The script and story, credited to Zak Penn, serves little purpose other than to lurch from one action scene to the next. Director Louis Leterrier seems to have a knack for directing action but is let down by poor special effects. A special effects free chase across Brazilian rooftops works well, but nearly every recent action film has a free running scene so it comes off a little tired. Even the music is unmemorable except for a nice but brief little nod to the Incredible Hulk TV show theme. Considering all these factors along with the average acting it's hard to recommend The Incredible Hulk.
Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner/The Hulk. The film opens with a brief recap of how the unfortunate Bruce takes part in a experiment that goes wrong, which leaves him turning into a big green brute whenever he gets angry. We join Bruce in Brazil, where he is searching for an antidote for his unusual condition. Unbeknownst to him he is being chased by the fanatical General Ross (William Hurt) who wants to capture Bruce for experimentation in creating a new breed of super soldier. Ross has brought in ruthless and slightly unhinged soldier Emil Blonksy (Tim Roth) to help capture Bruce. They eventually find Bruce who promptly goes on the run and ends up back in the States, and running into his former girlfriend Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) who was present at the fateful experiment. Bruce continues his work to cure himself of the Hulk while trying to avoid the clutches of General Ross and Blonsky, who eventually becomes a hulking mutant himself called The Abomination.
The plot is straight forward and dispenses with the character development element that Ang Lee's movie went for, instead concentrating on wham bam action sequences. Sadly the action just isn't very exciting. Like in Ang Lee's film the Hulk is completely CGI generated, but he isn't very convincing. His first appearance is shrouded mainly in darkness which actually works quite well, but a big daylight scene in the middle of the movie looks unnatural. The CGI overall is mediocre which detracts from the enjoyment of the action scenes. The final showdown between the Hulk and the Abomination is fairly well done and exciting in parts, but it's a rather dull slog before we get there.
The acting ranges from average to poor. Edward Norton, who also had a hand in the script, is not a very engaging Bruce Banner and comes off as a bit of a dullard. Tim Roth, normally quite an intense actor, is oddly subdued as Blonsky, and never seems as dangerous as his character implies. William Hurt does a good job as General Ross, giving a suitably cartoony performance which plays well. He also sports a rather fabulous moustache. Liv Tyler is largely awful as Betty, providing an astonishingly wooden and wimpy performance. She isn't served well by the script but that's no excuse for such a poor performance.
This film really should have been called “The Mediocre Hulk.” The script and story, credited to Zak Penn, serves little purpose other than to lurch from one action scene to the next. Director Louis Leterrier seems to have a knack for directing action but is let down by poor special effects. A special effects free chase across Brazilian rooftops works well, but nearly every recent action film has a free running scene so it comes off a little tired. Even the music is unmemorable except for a nice but brief little nod to the Incredible Hulk TV show theme. Considering all these factors along with the average acting it's hard to recommend The Incredible Hulk.
Review - The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan's latest is a technically awful but oddly watchable horror, which Shyamalan calls a “B-Movie.” Whether he decided it was a B-Movie while filming or after he viewed the final cut is unknown. The film opens with a surprisingly creepy scene in New York, where people in Central Park all come to a standstill at the same time, walk a few steps backward and then promptly kill themselves via the most convenient means. This strange and horrible situation sweeps throughout the city, with nearly the entire population attempting to off themselves, including a memorable scene with construction workers hauling themselves off a building. The action then moves to Philadelphia, where Elliot and Alma Moore (Mark Whalberg and Zooey Deschanel) find themselves swept up in this bizarre suicide epidemic. We follow them as they desperately try to make sense of this “happening,” and avoid ending up getting affected themselves.
Despite the interesting premise the script and story is a schlocky mess. None of the characters speak like normal people, they all speak like a narrative in a book. The story doesn't really go anywhere and requires a huge suspension of disbelief. In these types of films characters are always doing silly things but I did have a bit of trouble getting emotionally invested in a scene where the characters have to run away from the wind. Yes they run through a field with the “wind” blowing and trying to catch up behind them. Difficult to explain, mind blowingly stupid to watch. The acting is horrific, which is a shame as Whalberg and Deschanel aren't bad actors. I don't know if it was a stylistic choice by Shyamalan but the actors read their lines like they're on a cue card behind the camera and they only rehearsed five minutes before filming the scene.
But despite the poor acting, simplistic script and silly story, The Happening does have two things going for it. The first is the excellent music by James Newton Howard. The second is the shocks sprinkled throughout the film. Shyamalan does understand what makes a good scare and the suicide scenes, although far fetched, are just tongue in cheek and creepy enough to work. There's also a couple of effective shocks outside the suicide scenes as mankind falls apart at the hands of the epidemic and paranoia sinks in.
Clocking in at 90 minutes The Happening is to brief and goofy to be a bore to watch. There's no doubt this is a poor effort and the over the top suicide scenes and occasional shocks don't make up for the failings in the script and acting. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this film but if it's on late night TV, which is probably the rightful home for a film like this, it might be worth catching, if only for the silly death scenes.
Despite the interesting premise the script and story is a schlocky mess. None of the characters speak like normal people, they all speak like a narrative in a book. The story doesn't really go anywhere and requires a huge suspension of disbelief. In these types of films characters are always doing silly things but I did have a bit of trouble getting emotionally invested in a scene where the characters have to run away from the wind. Yes they run through a field with the “wind” blowing and trying to catch up behind them. Difficult to explain, mind blowingly stupid to watch. The acting is horrific, which is a shame as Whalberg and Deschanel aren't bad actors. I don't know if it was a stylistic choice by Shyamalan but the actors read their lines like they're on a cue card behind the camera and they only rehearsed five minutes before filming the scene.
But despite the poor acting, simplistic script and silly story, The Happening does have two things going for it. The first is the excellent music by James Newton Howard. The second is the shocks sprinkled throughout the film. Shyamalan does understand what makes a good scare and the suicide scenes, although far fetched, are just tongue in cheek and creepy enough to work. There's also a couple of effective shocks outside the suicide scenes as mankind falls apart at the hands of the epidemic and paranoia sinks in.
Clocking in at 90 minutes The Happening is to brief and goofy to be a bore to watch. There's no doubt this is a poor effort and the over the top suicide scenes and occasional shocks don't make up for the failings in the script and acting. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this film but if it's on late night TV, which is probably the rightful home for a film like this, it might be worth catching, if only for the silly death scenes.
Thursday 10 December 2009
Review - In Bruges
I've only visited Bruges once. A quaint little medieval town in Belgium, it was a nice place to wander around but I was glad to leave after spending half a day there. In this entertaining and violent comedy thriller, hitmen Ray and Ken (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) have to spend two weeks there. They are awaiting instructions from their boss Harry (a barnstorming Ralph Fiennes) after a hit they performed went horribly wrong. Ken is entranced by Bruges and falls in love with the architecture and people. Ray doesn't hide his hatred of Bruges and can't wait to leave. I sympathised with Ray more.
While awaiting instructions from Harry, Ray and Ken learn more about Bruges, the people there, and about themselves. Their backstory is told in well crafted flashbacks, and their escapades in Bruges are funny and interesting. Ray finds himself falling in love with local drug dealer Chio (Clémence Poésy) while Ken falls in love with Bruges itself. Things eventually escalate so that Harry ends up visiting the boys which leads to a violent and shocking finale.
Bruges makes a good looking backdrop for the film and the cinematography is excellent, really making good use of the scenery Bruges has to offer. The script by Martin McDonagh, who also directs, is very good. There's a sly and often subtle sense of humour running throughout, even when things start getting bloody. The characters are sensitively handled and the acting is excellent– Farrell initially has a brash exterior which is seemingly impenetrable but we discover over the course of the film how fragile and conflicted he really is. Gleesen plays his role as a sort of father figure to Farrell and it comes off well. Fiennes gets to chew up the scenery in a largely one note role as a psychotic gangster. He's a lot of fun though and really makes an impression in the small amount of screen time he's given.
I thoroughly enjoyed In Bruges, its low key but funny humour and obvious love for its characters working really well on screen.
While awaiting instructions from Harry, Ray and Ken learn more about Bruges, the people there, and about themselves. Their backstory is told in well crafted flashbacks, and their escapades in Bruges are funny and interesting. Ray finds himself falling in love with local drug dealer Chio (Clémence Poésy) while Ken falls in love with Bruges itself. Things eventually escalate so that Harry ends up visiting the boys which leads to a violent and shocking finale.
Bruges makes a good looking backdrop for the film and the cinematography is excellent, really making good use of the scenery Bruges has to offer. The script by Martin McDonagh, who also directs, is very good. There's a sly and often subtle sense of humour running throughout, even when things start getting bloody. The characters are sensitively handled and the acting is excellent– Farrell initially has a brash exterior which is seemingly impenetrable but we discover over the course of the film how fragile and conflicted he really is. Gleesen plays his role as a sort of father figure to Farrell and it comes off well. Fiennes gets to chew up the scenery in a largely one note role as a psychotic gangster. He's a lot of fun though and really makes an impression in the small amount of screen time he's given.
I thoroughly enjoyed In Bruges, its low key but funny humour and obvious love for its characters working really well on screen.
Review - The Notorious Bettie Paige
This biopic of famed 50's pin-up Bettie Paige unfortunately falls short of the mark. The film tells Bettie's story from her troubled childhood to her transition into starring in adult photographs and films, earning her the nickname of the “Pin-up Queen of the Universe.” After the US Senate starts a crackdown on these lewd photographs we follow Bettie as she leaves the adult photograph industry and the public eye behind and eventually becomes a born again Christian.
Gretchen Moll plays Bettie, and is the highlight of this uneven film. She throws herself fully into the role and is entertaining as the young, innocent and bubbly pin up girl. The supporting cast are also good with Lili Taylor and Chris Bauer putting in enjoyable turns as adult photographers Paula and Irving Klaw. Sadly while the acting is above par, the directing by Mary Harron and writing by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner is rather mediocre.
The main problem I found with the film is that we learn very little about Bettie as a person. Like the Andy Kaufman biopic “Man in the Moon,” the film is quite happy to re-enact scenes from Bettie's life but never give any further insight about her character. Bettie's troubled childhood is glossed over, even though she was abused by her father and as a teen was gang raped. Absolutely no screen time is given to how this affected Bettie. Even during her modelling career we're never allowed a deep look into Bettie's character – the film is just happy to re-enact the process of how the photos were taken and the films made. The only aspect of Bettie's life the film does touch upon is her religious beliefs. There's a nice scene where Bettie is asked what God thinks about her posing nude. She replies that God must want her to pose nude or he wouldn't have given her this “talent.” It's the only part of the film that gives a little insight into Bettie as a person and it's a shame the rest of the film couldn't follow this scenes example.
Bettie Paige in real life was a very private person, so it's possible the reason the film doesn't reveal much about Bettie's thoughts is that she has never spoken about it in public. Unfortunately the direction and cinematography don't do much to make up for the weakness of the script. Filmed mainly in black and white the film looks rather lifeless – it's flatly lit and the direction is rather dull. The film is punctuated with scenes in Miami which are filmed in a lush 50's Technicolour style – these scenes look great and add some much needed life to the film. But overall “The Notorious Bettie Paige” is a disappointment. The life of a bright and bubbly individual has been turned into a rather stoic and workmanlike film.
Gretchen Moll plays Bettie, and is the highlight of this uneven film. She throws herself fully into the role and is entertaining as the young, innocent and bubbly pin up girl. The supporting cast are also good with Lili Taylor and Chris Bauer putting in enjoyable turns as adult photographers Paula and Irving Klaw. Sadly while the acting is above par, the directing by Mary Harron and writing by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner is rather mediocre.
The main problem I found with the film is that we learn very little about Bettie as a person. Like the Andy Kaufman biopic “Man in the Moon,” the film is quite happy to re-enact scenes from Bettie's life but never give any further insight about her character. Bettie's troubled childhood is glossed over, even though she was abused by her father and as a teen was gang raped. Absolutely no screen time is given to how this affected Bettie. Even during her modelling career we're never allowed a deep look into Bettie's character – the film is just happy to re-enact the process of how the photos were taken and the films made. The only aspect of Bettie's life the film does touch upon is her religious beliefs. There's a nice scene where Bettie is asked what God thinks about her posing nude. She replies that God must want her to pose nude or he wouldn't have given her this “talent.” It's the only part of the film that gives a little insight into Bettie as a person and it's a shame the rest of the film couldn't follow this scenes example.
Bettie Paige in real life was a very private person, so it's possible the reason the film doesn't reveal much about Bettie's thoughts is that she has never spoken about it in public. Unfortunately the direction and cinematography don't do much to make up for the weakness of the script. Filmed mainly in black and white the film looks rather lifeless – it's flatly lit and the direction is rather dull. The film is punctuated with scenes in Miami which are filmed in a lush 50's Technicolour style – these scenes look great and add some much needed life to the film. But overall “The Notorious Bettie Paige” is a disappointment. The life of a bright and bubbly individual has been turned into a rather stoic and workmanlike film.
Sunday 6 December 2009
Review - Slumdog Millionaire
When released in 2008, Slumdog Millionaire became a sleeper hit, doing good business at the box office and sweeping the 2009 OSCARS. It's not surprising to see why – director Danny Boyle handles the drama, comedy and pathos in the well written script well, backed up with a very talented cast and exotic Indian scenery.
The film opens with a young Indian man named Jamel (Dev Patel) being tortured by the police. It transpires that Jamel has just finished filming an episode of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” and he has made it to just one question away from the 20 million rupee top prize. However there are suspicions as to how a poor “slumdog” got that far, and the police want to find out if he's cheating and how. Through flashback we discover how Jamel knows the answers to the quiz questions, and also learn about his turbulent life.
The flashbacks start from when Jamel is five or six years old, living in the slums with his brother Salima. After a tragic incident where their mother is killed, they go on the run and are eventually taken to a camp where they are trained to beg. There they meet Latika, who Jamel instantly has an attraction too. We follow the three characters lives which end up going in very different directions, along the way learning how Jamel picked up the knowledge he'd eventually use on the quiz show and we discover why he his on the show in the first place.
Danny Boyle directs the action at a cracking pace, and the script is both funny and dramatic. The early childhood scenes work the best. The child actors are fantastic, completely believable and very watchable. Emotionally the script and action veers all over the place, with everything from heartbreaking scenes to gross out jokes. Unfortunately as the characters get older the situations get a little more contrived, especially when gangsters get involved. The film retains a fair level of grittiness, especially during the early childhood scenes. As the film goes on the grittiness is lost a little, and although the situations the characters find themselves in get progressively more dangerous they seem a bit fake and don't have the edge found in the first half of the film. The Indian scenery is fabulous throughout and there's also an fantastic soundtrack.
It's hard not to get enveloped into Jamil's story and the final act is a real nail biter. Although Slumdog is marketed (in the UK at least) as an almost family friendly “feel good” film, it's actually quite a grim movie at times. It's not afraid to explore the dark side of human nature, and the oppressing grittiness of living in the slums themselves. These are themes Danny Boyle has handled before and done well, and they come across well in this film. If like me it's taken you a while to get round to seeing this film, don't delay it for too long – it's well worth watching.
The film opens with a young Indian man named Jamel (Dev Patel) being tortured by the police. It transpires that Jamel has just finished filming an episode of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” and he has made it to just one question away from the 20 million rupee top prize. However there are suspicions as to how a poor “slumdog” got that far, and the police want to find out if he's cheating and how. Through flashback we discover how Jamel knows the answers to the quiz questions, and also learn about his turbulent life.
The flashbacks start from when Jamel is five or six years old, living in the slums with his brother Salima. After a tragic incident where their mother is killed, they go on the run and are eventually taken to a camp where they are trained to beg. There they meet Latika, who Jamel instantly has an attraction too. We follow the three characters lives which end up going in very different directions, along the way learning how Jamel picked up the knowledge he'd eventually use on the quiz show and we discover why he his on the show in the first place.
Danny Boyle directs the action at a cracking pace, and the script is both funny and dramatic. The early childhood scenes work the best. The child actors are fantastic, completely believable and very watchable. Emotionally the script and action veers all over the place, with everything from heartbreaking scenes to gross out jokes. Unfortunately as the characters get older the situations get a little more contrived, especially when gangsters get involved. The film retains a fair level of grittiness, especially during the early childhood scenes. As the film goes on the grittiness is lost a little, and although the situations the characters find themselves in get progressively more dangerous they seem a bit fake and don't have the edge found in the first half of the film. The Indian scenery is fabulous throughout and there's also an fantastic soundtrack.
It's hard not to get enveloped into Jamil's story and the final act is a real nail biter. Although Slumdog is marketed (in the UK at least) as an almost family friendly “feel good” film, it's actually quite a grim movie at times. It's not afraid to explore the dark side of human nature, and the oppressing grittiness of living in the slums themselves. These are themes Danny Boyle has handled before and done well, and they come across well in this film. If like me it's taken you a while to get round to seeing this film, don't delay it for too long – it's well worth watching.
Review - The Science of Sleep
French director Michael Gondry, who has graduated from music videos to feature films, tackles another unusual take on a classic love story, much like his previous feature “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Stéphane Miroux (Gael García Bernal) has moved from Mexico to Paris at the insistence of his widowed mother. He finds a dreary job at a calendar publisher, where his sexist, pigish boss Guy (Alain Chabat) constantly chides him, but is also oddly supportive and friendly towards him. Stéphane's rather humdrum life is made more exciting when Stéphanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) moves in to the apartment opposite. Stéphane initially has an eye for Stéphanie's room mate but soon falls in love with Stéphanie herself, and desperately tries to woo her.
As we follow Stéphane's attempts to romance Stéphanie we learn a lot about both characters. Stéphane's father has passed away and this haunts Stéphane greatly. His over-active imagination leads to vivid dreams where his fears and hopes are brought to life in surreal ways. Amongst the themes explored in his dreams are his relationships with his family, including his deceased father, his co-workers and with Stéphanie. These are tackled well and although they are fantasy sequences there's truth and realism to them. Stéphanie also appears to have a vivid imagination, putting it to practical use creating whimsical and inventive art. She is also somewhat withdrawn and introverted like Stéphane, but as the film goes on she seems more willing to come out of her shell unlike Stéphane who frequently retreats to his dream world.
Stéphane's highly stylised dream sequences are a highlight of the film. Using a mixture of live action and stop motion they are witty and really bring across the unique other worldly feel that dreams have, where the extraordinary seems ordinary and everything is not quite what it seems. Outside of the dreams the film is amusing and entertaining, and Stéphane's and Stéphanie's tale is a charming one. At least until the last half hour, where Stéphane, his romantic advances repeatedly rejected by Stéphanie, becomes more self centered, difficult and arrogant (Stéphanie just calls him “creepy”.) The final act will divide viewers and some will be annoyed by Stéphane acting like a spoiled child – stamping his feet until he gets his own way. Other viewers (including myself) will recognise that's just how people behave sometimes – they may not realise how annoying they're being.
Despite the polarising final thirty minutes, Science of Sleep has a lot going for it. As well as excellent leading performances from Bernal and Gainsbourg, there's a colourful supporting cast, a pleasant soundtrack and lovely French scenery. All of this combines to make The Science of Sleep an enjoyably arty movie.
As we follow Stéphane's attempts to romance Stéphanie we learn a lot about both characters. Stéphane's father has passed away and this haunts Stéphane greatly. His over-active imagination leads to vivid dreams where his fears and hopes are brought to life in surreal ways. Amongst the themes explored in his dreams are his relationships with his family, including his deceased father, his co-workers and with Stéphanie. These are tackled well and although they are fantasy sequences there's truth and realism to them. Stéphanie also appears to have a vivid imagination, putting it to practical use creating whimsical and inventive art. She is also somewhat withdrawn and introverted like Stéphane, but as the film goes on she seems more willing to come out of her shell unlike Stéphane who frequently retreats to his dream world.
Stéphane's highly stylised dream sequences are a highlight of the film. Using a mixture of live action and stop motion they are witty and really bring across the unique other worldly feel that dreams have, where the extraordinary seems ordinary and everything is not quite what it seems. Outside of the dreams the film is amusing and entertaining, and Stéphane's and Stéphanie's tale is a charming one. At least until the last half hour, where Stéphane, his romantic advances repeatedly rejected by Stéphanie, becomes more self centered, difficult and arrogant (Stéphanie just calls him “creepy”.) The final act will divide viewers and some will be annoyed by Stéphane acting like a spoiled child – stamping his feet until he gets his own way. Other viewers (including myself) will recognise that's just how people behave sometimes – they may not realise how annoying they're being.
Despite the polarising final thirty minutes, Science of Sleep has a lot going for it. As well as excellent leading performances from Bernal and Gainsbourg, there's a colourful supporting cast, a pleasant soundtrack and lovely French scenery. All of this combines to make The Science of Sleep an enjoyably arty movie.
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