Sunshine

[Kythras]

Sunshine   

Promotional movie poster for Sunshine.

Directed by Danny Boyle
Written by Alex Garland
StarringRose Byrne
Cillian Murphy
Michelle Yeoh
Hiroyuki Sanada
Chris Evans
Cliff Curtis
Troy Garity
Benedict Wong
Mark Strong   
Music by John Murphy, Underworld
Cinematography Alwin H. Kuchler
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date(s) 5 April 2007
Language English
Budget GB£20 million
All Movie Guide profile      IMDb profile

Sunshine is the latest film by Danny Boyle. A Sci-Fi thriller film, Sunshine is set 50 years from now, when the Sun is dying, casting the Earth into a solar winter, the ship and crew of Icarus II are sent to fire a bomb into the heart of the sun to try and reviltalise it - however, overhanging them is the constant reminder of the failure of Icarus I. The film is shot almost solely onboard the spaceship and in space, with a single scene of Earth in the final minutes of the film.

Sunshine is a very powerful film that, far from its sci-fi roots, explores the actions of humans when faced with utter anihilation, and what extremems people can go to under certain circumstances. However, Sunshine aslo superbly shows the Sun, an object most people barely think about in their every-day lives, as the divine and powerful object it is, almsot creating a consciousness for it. Whilst watching the film, I couldn't help but picture ancient rites to do with the Sun, from formal worship to primitive rituals.

Acting 4/5
The raw and emotive nature of the film creates potential for both great sucess and spectacular failure. However, Sunshine manages to deliver te former. Despite the very insular nature of the environment the tiny cast of actors manages to deliver very human performance, making the viewer believe in their characters even though little develoment is allowed. All the characters provided very physical performances, making me believe they really were struggling with what faced them.

The relationship between Capa and Mace is tense, aggressive, very masculine and strangely brotherly. Despite their frequent confrontations, it is clear to see that, like all the other small crew, the two rely on each other, and work together for the greater good. Capa and Kassie also have a slightly inhuman, though believable relationship, half star-crossed lovers and have siblings. I as shocked and pleased to see their relationship did not turn into a Hollywood romance. Curtis' performance as the eccentric psychologist with the borderline sun obsession is very moving and a powerhouse of both the acting and concept of the film.

Cinematography 4^1/2/5
Cinematography is one place where Sunshine, forgive the pun, truly shines. By enforcing the theme of "light" both through the dialogue and the filming, there is no need for explicit stating. Almost every concievable use of light can be found in the filming of this movie. Kuchler has not shyed away from using unconventional angles in the close up, and combined them with some iconicly epic wide shots to emphasis both the deeply human side of the story, and the vastness of the backdrop. Also the use of distortion was particularly powerful, if slightly over-used, in the last segments of the film, and, though annoying in some parts, definitely helped to reinforce the view of the characters where used.

Directing 3^1/2/5
Given the limitation on the scenes usable, the directing was easily a point where the film could fall down, and given the exellent quality of almost all the other aspects, I feel it did. Perhaps I'm too much of a diehard Star Wars fan too see past any spaceship type filming other than that, but I feel that Sunshine did not perform to its best in that area. The same scene set-ups, I felt, were being used over and over again, and, even with the setting, I feel more could have been done.

Music 3/5
Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh, but I was very disappointed with the music used in Sunshine. Being a bit of a muso myself, I always notice the music used in films, and something about Sunshine's score failed to grab me. I wouldn't say it was particularly bad, but neither was it good. The film I always return to when comparing movie music is V for Vendetta, Dario Marianelli chose/was given a theme and he ran with it, even in the scores where it might not have worked as well (Valerie, Evey's Story) he wove it in. But in Sunshine, unlike with its cinematography there was no unity to the musical themes, and the vastness of the differences didn't work perhaps enforced by the limited range of settings.


All in all, Sunshine was a very enjoyable film to watch, it kept you on me on my toes, and, despite some redictable elements, managed to provide a new take on the sci-fi genre. I heartily recommend it to anyone in the mood for a thriller with more than a hint of drama.

4/5