Sunshine
Sunshine's script is written by Alex Garland
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Thursday, 05, Apr 2007 12:00
Directed by Danny Boyle, out now in cinemas, starring Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne and Michelle Yeoh, running time 107 minutes.
In a nutshell.
Tense. Creepy. Claustrophobic. Blinding. Dark.
What's it all about?
Sunshine tells the story of curiously-named spaceship Icarus II, which must deploy a bomb into the sun to prevent Earth from perishing in an infinite winter. However, when the crew, which is already cracking under pressure, suffering from nightmares and infighting, decides to intercept a distress call from long-forgotten Icarus I, a seemingly-simple mistake means they must choose between their own fate and that of mankind.
But of course, it's never that simple. And the mysterious remains of Icarus I's team - despatched seven years previously in the first attempt to reignite the sun - suggest that far from failing their mission, the crew were influenced by a force far greater than just sunlight.
So as Icarus II races towards the dying star, it is left up to physicist Capa (played by Cillian Murphy), pilot Cassie (Rose Byrne) and computer expert Mace (Chris Evans) to launch the bomb - while dealing with a mysterious and uninvited presence on the ship.
Who's in it?
Mostly unknown actors, Sunshine benefits from a believable cast who portray the crew as real, fallible people, rather than heroic or particularly likeable characters. Murphy does a fine job as Capa, who must make a decision which ultimately puts the fate of the world in his hands, while Byrne plays Cassie, a young woman only just coming to terms with the enormity and risk of the mission.
Otherwise, Mark Strong as the malevolent Pinbacker plays his slim role with a rather terrifying physicality, portraying the captain of Icarus I as an ordinary man turned murderously insane.
As an example.
Cassie: Are you scared?
Capa: No
Cassie: I am.
Capa, sending a message to his family: "So if you wake up one morning and it's a particularly beautiful day, you'll know we made it."
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
It's already proved popular in cinemas - which is really the best place to enjoy Boyle's dazzling visual effects - and Sunshine could receive awards from a magazine like Empire, which often recognises great storytelling. However, Sunshine's roots in the science fiction genre may turn some viewers off, even though its suspenseful and genuinely unnerving moments make it an entertaining watch while asking some deeply philosophical questions.
What the others say
"It's in the relationship between the crew and the sun that Sunshine really shines." Ben Walters, Time Out
"A film of apocalyptic doom, death and desperation it may be, but peer beyond the shades and you'll find beauty in Sunshine." Jonathan Dean, Total Film
"From a clever, cerebral thriller, the film turns into a slasher flick. And a predictable slasher flick at that." Coco Forsythe, Future Movies.
So is it any good?
Sunshine is an impressive film, at once knowingly referencing space-themed classics such as Alien and 2001 while similarly turning the traditional fear of the dark on its head and showing the terrifying battle between science and faith. And it's this dichotomy which gives Sunshine a bit more to offer than your average apocalyptic action movie. The crew, having to make snap decisions based on what they believe is the right thing to do, show they are just normal people when confronted with Pinbacker's monstrous beliefs and they struggle to decide on a course of action when it becomes clear their mission is too far off-course to be salvaged.
It's also refreshing to see a film based on the consequences of human error, as opposed to failing technology or a double-crossing saboteur. However, if the film has one error, it is the final 20 minutes. Slightly muddled, screenwriter Alex Garland makes the same mistake as in his previous efforts - The Beach and 28 Days Later - in trying to cram too much into the film's conclusion.
8/10
Isabel Plumbly