Directed by:
Danny BoyleScreenplay:
Alex GarlandCinematography:
Alwin H. KuchlerCast:
Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada, Troy Garity, Cliff Curtis, Mark Strong, Benedict Wong, Paloma Baeza, Chipo ChungVOD (3)
Plots(1)
Fifty years from now, the sun is dying, and mankind is dying with it. Our last hope: a spaceship and a crew of eight men and women. They carry a device which will breathe new life into the star. But deep into their voyage, out of radio contact with Earth, their mission is starting to unravel. There is an accident, a fatal mistake, and a distress beacon from a spaceship that disappeared seven years earlier. Soon the crew is fighting not only for their lives, but their sanity. (Fox Searchlight Pictures US)
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Reviews (9)
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.
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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%)
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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.
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Danny Boyle's contribution to the sci-fi genre is sort of a pleasant compromise in the end. Sunshine doesn't stand out for its pomposity or bombastic visuals, but it's exactly halfway between a grand space adventure and a cramped survival drama. Unfortunately, the script slightly staggers in its second half, but thanks to precise direction it is still a rather impressively made sci-fi, and for very modest money.
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Sunshine is too low-budget and chatty, and with too many interior shots for a grandiose mainstream sci-fi movie, and it’s too unoriginal and clichéd for an intelligent intimate drama. We know practically nothing about the characters, we have already seen almost every twist in the story elsewhere, and the film is visually austere, at least one level worse than Event Horizon. I don’t like to say it, but even the silly The Core was more fun than this. Danny, stop with this bullshit and shoot Porno (note for those not in the know: the announced sequel to Trainspotting).
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Gallery (57)
Photo © Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
![Sunshine - Photos - Michelle Yeoh, Cillian Murphy, Benedict Wong, Rose Byrne](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/162/692/162692514_bf2585.jpg)
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