Sunshine
Breathtaking is the main word I’d use to describe this film. Sunshine is peak what an epic adventure of a watch that was. Sci-fi is just the best. Easily one of the most visually breathtaking science fiction sequences I’ve seen. So many favourite scenes, Capa’s space jump, kaneda what do you see and many more.
I believe Sunshine is a misunderstood masterpiece. Like with most Sci-fi’s the film is not quite scientifically accurate. However the scientific inaccuracy’s do not detract from its ability to raise important questions about the universe. If you look deeply it can be considered to be a big metaphor discussing the bigger ideas about humanity. Each character conveys an amazing religious allegory. You could think of this film less about the space travel and more so about faith vs science.
Sunshine is truly ambitious, with every twist and turn it builds and builds just as degrees increase. The build-up is some of the best; tragedy was always lingering, and a climax that was grand and dramatic. It’s clear that inspiration was drawn from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Solaris, and many more. However, Sunshine is still far apart from those as it displays a unique and remarkable mesh of genres.
It amazed me how much was put into this film. You’ve got elements of horror, drama, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, and a hint of romance, depending on how you look at it. Danny Boyle has pushed the boundaries with this film. I mean, I’ve never seen anything like it. So much of everything. It conveys morality and conflict superbly. The suspense of the spaceship's journey towards the sun was nerve-wracking to say the least. This was essential; it allowed me to feel the scorching heat of the sun and the unpredictability of its essence.
The cast was great. It was stacked a lot to mention, but I’ll pick out my favourites. Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans stole the show; this is the best I’ve seen of Chris Evans other than Captain America. Cillian Murphy is now an Oscar-winning actor and one of my favourites, and now to see some of his early work, he was destined to have success.
Visually stunning, blown away with the cinematography, some would say over the top; I’d say just right. It’s perfect for us to experience the stress the characters are going through. The sun was such a presence throughout; it was its own character, another cast member, if you will. It was so much so that I was getting hot flushes. I’m glad I watched this in the comfort of air conditioning.
Oh my god, the score was electric; it balanced perfectly, chaotic and emotional at one point and intensely distressing at the next. The Icarus 1 distress signal tied with Icarus delivering the 5 crew members aboard line is one of the most distressing moments in sci fi. Danny Boyle created a film so impactful that each time I see the sun now, I will think of this film. Sunshine is terrifying and astonishing. It is a top 5 sci-fi movie for me, thank you very much. The ending was perfect, quite frankly it made me shed tear. The ending gave me a sense of utter peace and happiness.
A quote: "At the end of time, a moment will come when just one man remains. Then the moment will pass. Man will be gone. There will be nothing to show that we were ever here... But stardust"