I’ve been meaning to watch Sunshine for quite a while, only recently purchasing a copy of the film when the price dropped to $6 at Best Buy. I’ve heard many great things about it, and some not-so-great things about it.
Coming from Danny Boyle, UK director and most recent recipient of the Best Picture Academy Award (for Slumdog Millionaire), Sunshine is set about 50 years in the future from now when the Sun is in danger of extinguishing itself completely. Mankind has already sent one expedition to re-ignite the Sun, the Icarus I, but communications are cut off as the team reaches the Sun and its status is unknown. Icarus I is given up for lost and seven years later the Icarus II is sent to finish the mission. The film picks up as the Icarus II enters what they call the “Dead Zone,” – an area of space around the Sun where communication with earth becomes impossible. The film begins as the team sets about sending their final messages home.
One of the things I liked most about Sunshine was the logical progression of the story. One event leads to the next in a thoughtful, sensible fashion and the story unfolds in an entirely believable way. I always appreciate a film that doesn’t give their audience the proverbial nudge and wink and then say, “I know this doesn’t make sense, but just accept it because you know it’s fictional anyway.” Every turn of the story has motivation behind it and is brought about in a way that makes sense within the context of the movie. The only plot point that is not explained is how/why the Sun’s light is being extinguished so many millions of years before scientists predict it will. The fact that the Sun is fading is not a big deal, but the fact that it is fading and they set the film 50 years into the future kind of begs an explanation. But every other element, to my knowledge, is explained logically even if it’s not in a way that is 100% accurate to real science.
The story itself is a rather bleak affair, which isn’t my favorite kind of movie to watch but I appreciate the cast and crew’s dedication to effectively creating and sustaining that kind of atmosphere. The film evokes pseudo-spiritual imagery – daunting, awe-inspiring and majestic while at the same time remarkably dangerous and hopeless. There seems to be a constant state of equal-but-opposite contrasting relationships throughout the film. The science team is earth’s last hope and represents the only chance earth has for a future, but they themselves have no hope of surviving and returning home. The Sun itself is continually a reminder that it is equally a bringer of life and death, light and darkness, understanding and insanity.
There wasn’t much about the film that I didn’t like, and I find it hard to pinpoint any one thing that stood out as poor in quality. It is a film that should be seen several times before drawing final conclusions, but off the top of my head there are a couple things I wasn’t a fan of. The decision to turn the movie into a pseudo-slasher/horror film at the end was a little weak and unnecessary given the team’s already doomed fate. Some of the camera and post-production work were a little confusing, if that makes sense. One of the characters introduced late in the story is never clearly seen on screen; instead we see quick, blurry passes over his face and body from camera angles that often skew the perspective beyond recognition at all. It’s especially unnecessary, I thought, because we know who the character is and I saw no reason to visually hide his features (unless the prosthetics were crappy and they were just hiding the sloppy make-up).
Overall, Sunshine is a thought-provoking, multi-dimensional film that should inspire conversation among those patient enough to give it a chance. A seamless experience, Sunshine earns a spot among the better films in sci-fi cinema. It’s not perfect, but no film is and I recommend it to anyone looking for a rich, satisfying visual, psychological and philosophical take on science fiction.
8/10
Sunshine
Directed by Danny Boyle
Produced by Andrew Macdonald
Written by Alex Garland
Starring Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh
Music by John Murphy, Underworld (a band, apparently)
Rated R for violent content and language
2 comments:
I love Sunshine.
There are so many layers and depth to that movie, if one chooses to pay attention. Like the focus on eyes, for instance, and how eyes are the way we are even able to sense light. I loved that.
I can see how you may not have cared for the ending that much, but I liked it. The character showed the opposite end of the spectrum by embracing the insanity and hopelessness, something the rest of the characters never do. I also thought the blurry effects were appropriate, not only because it's scarier when you never fully see the monster (if a bit frustrating), but also because that's the nature of the character - blurry, out of focus and out of touch - madness.
Sunshine reminded me a lot of Event Horizon, with its atmosphere and chilly philosophy. I enjoy both very much.
The shots of the eyes were probably my favorite in the whole movie too. Very very cool.
My comments about the ending were really just being picky. I did appreciate the character's embrace of the hopelessness in contrast to the teams constant struggle with it, and it does reflect many other themes in the movie so it's not really even a big deal at all.
I like Sunshine a little more than Event Horizon, but they are thematically similar. Both are excellent.
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