August 04, 2007
Sunshine
The thinking man's sci-fi for the new millenium? Better than 2001: A Space Odessey? Quite possibly.
Starring: Cliff Curtis, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Chris Evans, Benedict Wong, Troy Garity
Rating: 10/10
Directed By: Danny Boyle
Runtime: 108 minutes
Starring: Cliff Curtis, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Chris Evans, Benedict Wong, Troy Garity
Rating: 10/10
Directed By: Danny Boyle
Runtime: 108 minutes
The sun is dying, and as the sun dies, so does mankind. The simplest of plotlines, really, and yet also the deepest. Since time immemorial, man has looked to the sun as a God, the source of light in a lightless world, a source of warmth in a cold world, a source of power, ultimately the source of life. As directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland (both of whom previously teamed up for the wonderfully dark and chilling 28 Days Later), Sunshine offers a simple story that is so much more.
Mankind has banded together, mining all of Earth's radioactive material for a last ditch effort to shoot a nuclear bomb the size of Manhattan into the heart of the sun, hopefully reigniting it to save the planet. Much like 2001: A Space Odyssey, the plot is actually a jumping off point for a cerebral and philosophical journey. There is action to be sure, but the movie engages you in a much deeper level as well (if you're willing to let it).
I must say, the audience reaction was mixed. Some people walked out . . . if you were looking for a simplistic B-movie escape from reality, this wasn't your best choice. This movie almost demanded you think, you feel, you ponder the greater truths . . . including possibly the greatest truth, should we even try to save mankind if the very heavens themselves seem to be saying our time is at an end.
I hate to keep comparing this film to 2001, but it's really unavoidable. It is beautifully shot, offering some stunning imagery, it's ending veers into the same sort of "what the hell" climax that leaves you wondering what happened (and even "how did it happen"). The scene of a golden suited astronaut being pulled to his death by the gravitational field of the sun, at one point frozen by the deathly cold of deep space, then immolated in the fiery heat of the sun . . . simply exhilarating.
It may look like the simplistic pap of Deep Impact, Armageddon, or The Core, but it's so much more. It's much deeper and moving than any of those. It's not without it's imperfections or frustrations, but I give this a 10 because it so totally blew away my expectations.