Sunshine

Visually impressive and with a very unconventional premise, but the end result is unfortunately somewhat mixed. Thank God it's not about philosophizing on the origin or decline of humanity (although someone occasionally utters something along those lines), but rather a fast-paced and intriguing sci-fi flick with a few truly action-packed and intense moments. Surprisingly, there is a lack of scientific jargon and analysis, which is good because viewers usually have a hard time understanding them. The problem are the characters, they are only superficially sketched and we don't really learn anything about them. Then there’s the unnamed immigrant, who sticks out like a sore thumb, and it’s precisely because of this that this solid sci-fi film loses most of its attractiveness and appeal, as towards the end it becomes just clichés and a cat-and-mouse game. Despite this fatal flaw, I must say that it is a very unconventional work and as such it cannot be rated merely average. (05/02/2007)

What exactly is Boyle's Sunshine? A visual space essay? A realistic drama from space? A disaster film? A survival horror? Maybe all of the above mashed together. The first part of the film skillfully depicts the atmosphere of a spaceship rushing towards a task of fatal importance, relationships between the crew, a thickening atmosphere, moral dilemmas and exciting episodes from the life of an astronaut. In some respects, Boyle seems to be trying to achieve a hi-tech version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, whilst maintaining his classic directorial attributes. Awkward editing. Expressive acting in detail. Distinctive soundtrack. Surprisingly, this part not bound to the plot works very nicely, the artistic aspect is perfect, the atmosphere is absorbing and some of the sequences (repair of damaged panels) have well-escalated tension. The combination of raw drama, spectacular visuals and a bit of thought creates a captivating whole... but unfortunately, in about the middle of the runtime, the film finds itself asking the cardinal question... what's next? They are far from the Sun, layering problems on the storyline... and so Sunshine turns into a very cheap pseudo-horror-action murder film, in which annoying overacting, confused editing (which absolutely loses order from the beginning of the film) and Emmental logic play a role. Therefore, instead of gaining in attractiveness, Sunshine loses it considerably and becomes an unbearably excessive collage of disparate images and self-serving scenes. The ending, which would have been significant in other circumstances, fizzles out. For me, when I left the movie theatre, I felt that the film was technically excellent, but the sci-fi storyline was completely shrunken. It is intelligent in the first part, but alarmingly idiotic in the second. It's like stardust. You touch it and the shape shatters into small particles. It’s too bad. Three points for the great atmosphere of the introduction, the artistic design and a very nice soundtrack. Yes, the comparison with Event Horizon is on point. Including the way in which the film can turn from a lively to a silly one, unfortunately. (04/12/2007)

This movie really got to me. Because I'm the kind of guy who thinks a lot about the end of the world. How it's going to look. What exactly is going to happen to us? One of those considerations, of course, relates to the extinction of our sun. That big yellow ball I curse on these hot days. Danny Boyle, a director whom I didn’t know very well up until now (of course I'm going to change that now) literally glued me to my seat and dazzled my eyes with breathtaking visuals and great direction. The actors were also perfectly cast. I'll just mention the brilliant Cillian Murphy and the surprisingly great Chris Evans (this guy has a promising future ahead of him, I'm keeping my fingers crossed). What more to say. Best movie I've seen so far this year. (06/15/2007)

Never mind that according to the scholarly press, Sunshine is science fiction with the most scientific and technical nonsense in years, because Danny Boyle's extremely evocative direction trumps every plot misstep. Whether it's the scene of adjusting the solar filter, repairing the protective panels, or the impressive flyover of Mercury silhouetted against the backdrop of a hot solar disc, Boyle has managed to awaken in me what I last experienced with Zemeckis' Contact: a fascination with space. And surprisingly, even the killer "zombie" at the end, whose existence in the film is so criticized, didn't bother me at all. On the contrary, with his "role" as a self-proclaimed god, he gave the film a tantalizing mysterious dimension. A must see if possible in the cinema, this is an audiovisual juggernaut designed for the big screen. (09/05/2007)

When I first saw Sunshine a long time ago, I was absolutely blown away by it. Today, after watching it again, my enthusiasm has somewhat diminished. I realize that there are a lot of inconsistencies in the movie, and the slightly horror-themed plot element bothers me a bit as well. But it is still an extraordinary audiovisual experience after all these years. And Cillian Murphy as the savior of planet Earth? What more could you ask for? (75%) (08/20/2020)