Review of The Science of Sleep

After reviewing all of the d.v.d. extras, it still is clear that one of the notable characters in THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP meets enough of the DSMIV-R check-list for paranoid schizophrenia to qualify as a textbook-ready case. The voices in his head, the visual delusions, the wild mood swings, the violent outbursts, harming himself, his alternate realities, his stalking behaviors, his idiosyncratic use of language, his distorted perceptions of his own body, his relationship with his parents and coworkers, his inability to "fit in," his megalomania, his fractured ego, his inability to distinguish dreams from reality--it's all there. Though many films feature paranoid schizophrenics, most of them use this sad condition as an exploitive plot device, making it LESS likely that audience members will have any true understanding or sympathy for the victims of this illness, most of whom are guilty only of sharing their parents' genes. Many high functioning schizophrenics, such as Vincent van Gogh, have made enormous contributions to humanity's cultural treasure trove, often without making a penny for themselves. However, people like van Gogh--who have enough talent, as well as luck, to make a mark on society, are the exception to the rule, whereas folks such as the one in this film or the patients I've worked with (whose "triumphs" are only in their minds) are the disheartening norm. Kudos to SLEEP writer\director Michel Gondry for providing the world with one of the few balanced views of this heart-breaking condition.