I finally got around to seeing Sunshine. I loved it. Based in the future, the film follows a crew of eight that is sent on a mission to re-ignite our dying sun after the first craft to attempt to had seemingly disappeared. And sure enough, shit hits the fan, things go wrong, and the fate of everyone on earth is in jeopardy. Yeah, we’d all love a space movie where the mission isn’t compromised and everyone makes it back safe and sound, but where’s the fun in that?

I think what made Sunshine really compelling for me (at least for the most of it) was that when things went wrong, there wasn’t any clear “bad guy” to blame. It was just a miscalculation, or a loose grip, or a suicide. There wasn’t really a chance for justice or a way to right the wrongs. Conflict creates some great tension and drama, but to see it happen without any evil character to focus my anger and frustrations at was a nice change of pace for me. Of course, the antagonist comes into play eventually.

And that was my only gripe with it. It suddenly turned into a “slasher” flick. I can understand how one can mentally break down in the absolute vastness of space combined with the immense pressure of the mission, but “nekkid-skin-burned-religious-crazy-guy” was a bit over the top. I didn’t need a psycho stalker killing people one by one. I want them battling the actual difficulties of the mission itself. It’s more compelling to see them deal with the consequences of their own actions and decisions.

I absolutely loved the visuals and original score. Beautiful and breathtaking. Most of the acting was great, not spectacular, but enough to make it work.

Rating: 8/10. Story was solid, with no melodramatics like any other doomsday films. I loved the science fiction aspects of it. The visual direction and futuristic scores are probably what won me over the most. I’m getting the soundtrack as soon as I can.

And director Danny Boyle… you are talented! I am intrigued and surprised by the different types of films you create. Trainspotting. 28 Days Later. Sunshine. Slumdog Millionaire (which I saw and also thought was really awesome). All very different genres, but great movies nonetheless. What do you have next?

Tags: Danny Boyle, Sunshine