Michel Gondry's unique directorial vision remains unmatched in Hollywood. With his fantastical set designs and props, Gondry blurs the line between real and pretend in his films. Many of Gondry's characters also seem to live in worlds of their own creating, struggling to maintain a sentence of attachment to everyday life.
While French, Michel Gondry's work spans languages, continent, and styles. Over the decades, Gondry directed music videos for the likes of Björk and the Foo Fighters, while forging a path for himself as a feature filmmaker. From documentaries and dark comedies to animated movies, Gondry dips his toes in many genres. Here are Michel Gondry's 10 best films, ranked according to IMDb.
The We And The I (2012) - 6.1
The We and the I is both a testament to youth and a love letter to the Bronx, one of New York City's five boroughs. Michel Gondry wrote, directed, and produced this film that follows a group of high school students who share the same bus route to school every day. The film explores their final day of school together.
Gondry employed an ensemble cast of young actors to pinpoint the energy, frustration, and joy so intensely concentrated in one small space.
The Thorn In The Heart (2009) - 6.2
One of Michel Gondry's documentaries, The Thorn in the Heart is an autobiographical look into the director's home, the Cévennes region of Southern . Gondry spends most of the film interviewing his aunt, Suzette Gondry, who worked as a schoolteacher for over 30 years.
Gondry showcases the rural and isolated part of from which he originated. He also utilizes his signature quirky style to weave together a compelling tale about family.
Human Nature (2001) - 6.4
Michel Gondry's directorial debut stars some well-known faces, most notably Patricia Arquette and Tim Robbins. Gondry directed the film based on a Charlie Kaufman script, a talented screenwriter Gondry would later collaborate with on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Human Nature is fashioned as a fable about sexuality and instinct. It tells the story of a woman who lives in the forest, seeking isolation because of a hormonal condition that causes her to grow hair all over her body. After craving male companionship, the woman returns to the city, where -- with some laser hair removal -- she becomes involved with a virginal scientist.
Be Kind Rewind (2008) - 6.4
Mos Def and Jack Black star in this easygoing comedy that pays homage to VHS culture. Mos Def's character, Mike, works at an independent video rental store called Be Kind Rewind. Through a series of strange events, his best friend -- Jack Black's character Jerry -- accidentally erases all the content on the store's videotapes.
Mike and Jerry decide to remake all of the lost films in order to keep the store afloat. Unfortunately, intense magnetic properties emanating from the local power plant keep thwarting their efforts. Danny Glover and Mia Farrow co-star.
Mood Indigo (2013) - 6.5
Inspired by Boris Vian's book Froth on the Daydream, Moon Indigo is a surreal romance set in . Steeped in Michel Gondry's extraordinary visual storytelling, the film tells the story of two couples whose pleasures and pains are put on full display.
Gondry is known to include child-like special effects in his movies, and Moon Indigo is no exception. The movie is replete with imagery that is equal parts whimsical and sad. French actors Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou star in this unique take on the rom-com.
Microbe & Gasoline (2015) - 6.7
Microbe & Gasoline revels in childlike wonder and adventure. A French-language comedy, Michel Gondry directs two young actors who portray a pair of friends who decide to take their home-made vehicle on a road trip.
Nicknamed Microbe and Gasoline, the two teens embark on an ambitious journey through a country -- -- interpreted with Gondry's colorful lense. Audrey Tautou also co-stars as the mother of Microbe.
Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013) - 7.1
Instead of a straightforward biographical documentary, Michel Gondry opted to animate this film about the linguist and activist Noam Chomsky. Using elementary hand-drawn animation, Gondry visualizes a long, one-on-one conversation he recorded with Chomsky.
Gondry acts like a student in the movie, asking Chomsky to teach him about the elder's life philosophy. The pair discuss everything under the sun.
Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2005) - 7.5
That's right: Michel Gondry directed the acclaimed Dave Chapelle's Block Party. Filmed during the summer of 2004, the documentary traces Dave Dave Chapelle's efforts to throw a huge block party in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Chapelle invited the top soul and R&B artists of the time to perform at his block party. The line-up includes Kanye West, Lauren Hill, Erykah Badu, and The Roots. Chapelle does stand-up and sketches between each set.
The Science Of Sleep (2006) - 7.3
The Science of Sleep is a fanciful romantic comedy about loneliness, creativity, and vivid dreams. Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal plays Stéphane Miroux, a shy man who prefers his own intricate fantasy world to the real thing. Charlotte Gainsbourg plays Stéphanie, Stéphane's neighbor.
As the two neighbors spend more time together, Stéphane often sabotages their chance to develop a romance by retreating into his mind. The movie uses both full-scale props and live-action animation to bring Stéphane's imagination to life.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) - 8.3
Charlie Kaufman Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Carrey's character, Joel Barish, decides to undergo an experimental mind erasing treatment after his relationship with Winslet's character, Clementine, goes south.
The movie delves into Joel's deepest memories, both of Clementine and his life before meeting her, as he attempts to avoid the heartbreak brought on by a failed romance. Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Wilkinson co-star.
