I popped into town today, which was nice. Doesn't happen very often, it takes time and money. One of which I have loads of and one I haven't had for a long time. My bro was in town though so it was a special occasion. We went to the Prince Charles cinema to see Michael Gondry's Science of Sleep (2006). I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) so I had high hopes for SOS.
Comparisons between the two films are inevitable due to their inherent similarities, most notably the central love stories and the constant battle between what is and what isn't reality. Differences are also apparent, the budget is a big one. SOS's six million dollars budget came from six production companies making this a French/Italian film. Instead of Jim Carrey we get the far far cheaper but equally (most would say superior) talented Gael García Bernal. Having first seen him in the amazing Y Tu Mamá También (2001) he hasn't put a single foot wrong since. Opposite Bernal's Stéphane we have Charlotte Gainsbourg's Stéphanie.
I laughed my socks off during the first half, there are one-liners here that even Woody would be proud of. "I like your boobs" Stephane tells Stephanie, "They're very friendly and unpretentious". My favourite though was Stephane explaining why he prefers speaking Spanish to French, "I feel like my moutache grows slower".
The final act suffers due to it inability to keep up the relentless pace of the initial two. Unlike Eternal Sunshine there is no Charlie Kaufman here which basically means that while Eternal and every other film in the Kaufman cannon remains tight and focussed, SOS dwindles and begins to move sideways.
As Stéphane quips, "organization always merges back if you don't pay attention", this unfortunately may be the case in dreams, but sadly, it appears, not in reality.
