HE SAID
There haven’t been too many science fiction films focusing on the death of the sun. It’s a bit odd, given the sun is directly responsible for the abundance of life we enjoy on this planet. Really, the only film I am aware of to even remotely tackle this subject is Japan’s Sayonara Jupiter, though in that film the problem of the failing sun was soon supplanted by the arrival of a planet killing asteroid headed straight toward Earth. Sayonara Jupiter was notable for its landmark special effects, but little else. Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, however, holds this threat front and center, and unlike Jupiter, has both special effects and an intelligent story working for it, not to mention solid performances from its cast, and an absolutely stunning visual style.

The world of Sunshine sees Earth in its final moments. The sun, having burned brightly for countless centuries, is now dimming, and slowly dying. The Earth, in turn, has begun to cool. All continents see a thick blanket of snow. A plan to rectify the situation is quickly formulated. A team of scientists, including physicists, botanists, doctors, and the like, will make a journey through space, in a spacecraft coupled with a giant heat shield (imagine a parachutist in reverse), and “restart” the sun through deployment of fission inducing mega-nuclear bomb. The plan may seem preposterous, but as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures, and no time has been more desperate than this. However, the plan is not without fault; the first attempt having ended with the loss of both the spaceship and crew. Thus, Sunshine sees the second voyage, that of the Icarus 2.

And, for a time, all seems well for the new batch. But, when the Icarus 2 picks up a distress signal from the Icarus 1, a decision is made (backed by probabilistic reasoning, naturally) to intercept the vessel, in hopes of using its original payload as backup. But, in such a carefully calculated mission, this single divergence introduces a multitude of new dangers. With time (and oxygen) running out, and odds stacked horribly against them, can the crew of the Icarus 2 possibly complete their mission?

Sunshine pays tribute to a host of Sci-Fi greats (2001, Alien, and The Wrath of Kahn) as well as lesser cult pictures (Event Horizon [I totally dig this movie] and De Palma’s Mission to Mars [this one, not so much]), but all the while maintains a completely original identity. This is due in no small part to the smart and literate script (by regular Boyle collaborator, Alex Garland), amazing set design, stunning cinematography, and Boyle’s skilled direction. Through Boyle’s camera the vast cold emptiness of space is fully conveyed, bringing about a sense of profound loneliness and apprehension in the viewer. In turn, the sunlight itself becomes a menacing entity, dangerous, frightening, and wholly predatory. This is not the silly sunlight of Riddick, easily warded off with a bottle of Calistoga, but a flesh annihilating flood from which there is no escape. And just when you think the tension of these cannot be topped, Boyle does, with the introduction of a third, masterfully handled, entity that ramps everything before even higher. And, having now seen the film twice in the theater, I can attest that every plot point, even those that initially seem preposterous, is intricately linked through subtle foreshadowing and narrative symbolism.

What’s further notable about Sunshine is the strength of its multi-cultural cast. Everyone here does a stellar job, realizing completely believable, layered characters that avoid the stereotype pratfalls of so many sci-fi films. It doesn’t hurt that this cast is quite nice to look at, with someone for everyone of either sex (Cillian Murphy [Red Eye], Hiroyuki Sanada [The Promise], and Chris Evans [Fantastic 4] for the girls, and Rose Byrne [28 Weeks Later] and Michelle Yeoh [Silverhawk] for the guys). It’s worth noting that here Evans demonstrates some rather substantial acting chops, something heretofore unexpected giving his annoying presence in Fantastic Four. He’s no less an asshole, but at least he’s not without purpose. Furthermore, the film marks Yeoh’s best English Language performance to date. Again, great jobs all around.

Sunshine is one of the few summer films this year that actually deserves a theatrical viewing. Sadly, the chances for this are proving increasingly small. The reception from Bay Area critics has been less than stellar, with reviews citing a too pretty cast (read: Cillian envy) or too confusing science (read: feelings of intellectual inferiority) as reasons for their dislike. While Sunshine is a smart blend of hard and pulp sci-fi, and does rely on some cutting edge science in telling its story, it’s far from being elite-targeted as say, Primer (another truly awesome film, I might add). Really, to enjoy Sunshine one must have at most a basic knowledge of high school physics. And even then, that might be asking too much. Maybe the critics would like it better if the scientists tasked with restarting the sun were replaced with burly oil drillers? Or, perhaps they would like the human space drama to be eschewed in favor of space opera centering around snarky space smugglers or pseudo samurai wielding photon swords? In either case, Sunshine is playing in very few theaters here, with even fewer showings. This film is in its last weeks. If you can, go out and watch it. It’s really not going to be the same in your home theater.

See Sunshine now.

SHE SAID
Before seeing Sunshine I had to keep reminding myself (and Chris had to keep reminding me, too) that it was a Danny Boyle film, so don’t fret, have faith that he can make it realistic somehow no matter how incredulous the storyline seems: a space mission to re-ignite the sun. Hoo-boy. But during the film, with all these gorgeous visuals, incredible special effects, trippy electronica, and believable dialogue, it could be nothing but. Now, I wasn’t a Boyle fan to begin with, but he won me over with 28 Days Later which I must’ve seen at least half a dozen times and it’s still chilling every single time. No, not creepy because of the fetid rabid “infected” but because of the putrescence in the dissolution of humanity and the realization (as the characters realize as well) that it is no different from the human avarice spurning from civilization’s dawn down to its demise. We call it survival, but is it really fueled by such? Boyle’s Trainspotting also showed us the dregs and gems of the human ability to destroy ourselves and others, questioning self-redemption/responsibility vs. all-out laziness/ease. Joining Christopher Eccleston’s “people killing people” speech in 28 Days Later and Trainspotting’s traitors, Sunshine also shares this grim realization, always arriving at the ebb of optimism.

Sunshine is just as much a film about sacrifice and determination as it is about loss and delusion. The characters really shine. I love how Boyle sets up varying levels of character involvement to such a height that each merits his/her own motivation while simultaneously working in a group. You get to see what makes people tick: for example, the obsessive fascination of science suddenly overriding personal safety. The personality dynamics combine with stellar actors like Cillian Murphy (Red Eye), Cliff Curtis (Live Free or Die Hard), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai), (even Chris Evans [Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer] holds his own), and rapid pacing/editting (enforcing a real-time, on-your-toes crisis atmosphere). Even through the Cliff Notes introductions, you feel the sincerity, the flaws, the heroism, the passion, everything that makes them unique and makes these characters embraceable. An amazing feat when you factor in the (also) well-done adrenalin-infused situations and hard-hitting message concerning the brevity of human existence, one and all. Bummer.

Danny Boyle may be the only director to successfully (and yet modestly) meld an action film, a sci-fi film, a thriller, all with an artistic eye (fantastically tangible CG and beautifully choreographed camera pans) and ear (numbing bass effects and fittingly hip score tunes) and then gracefully switch it all up to a survival horror theme. Danny Boyle, I am sorry to have doubted you, but dammit, you have won me over again.

About the Authors

Chris Nelson and Kris Kobayashi-Nelson are the proud co-founders of dreamlogic.net. The adventurous soulmates occasionally take a break from ghost hunting, spelunking, pranking, programming, munching, and 4-hour bike rides to view some killer flicks.

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