Sorry it has been a while since I have last posted. I have been relocating from the city to my home town, so has taken me longer than expected to pack all of my unnecessary belongings and DVDs. So now that I am settled I have been perusing the world of films I have not seen, and came up with a Danny Boyle film called Sunshine from a few years back. Initial impressions of getting myself ready to watch this film were high due to liking a lot of Boyle's work in the past, but a little bit hesitant due to the 'Sci-Fi' setting and concept of the film. Especially considering I have seen Duncan Jones' Moon before this, and was sceptical that a powerful drama set in space could be so aptly achieved twice in as many years. I will come to whether Sunshine achieved this as I go through my thoughts on the film.
Looking at the cast, there is a variety of actors here, and a fair few recognisable faces on the bill. But as this film was reeled in 2007, a lot of the faces would have not been as recognisable upon release. I think this is why I have not been as eager to watch the film until now. As the years have gone by some fine actors have come out f the wood work, and I like seeing how Boyle had his attention caught by them earlier, and to the reasons why they have made it into higher and higher profile films. Cillian Murphy has obviously worked with Boyle before on 28 days later, so you are aware of the performance that Boyle is able to get out of him. Chris Evans is a face that we are more used to seeing in a comedic tough guy role, who has especially shot into stardom in the last year or two due to his high profile role in Captain America as the titular hero. The other two big names we see are Mark Strong, the go to bad guy in cinema at the moment, and Rose Byrne who has been in three or four big films in the past year or two. The most established is probably Michelle Yeoh of Crouching Tiger... fame, but other than that the cast is relatively unknowns for bigger roles.
The point I am trying to make above, is that although many of the stand out actors in this film have mainly come into prosperity since the release of this film, it is reassuring to see that they have a good reason to be. The standard of acting from many of the cast is commendable, considering the fantastical nature of the concept. Essentially the characters in this piece are sent on an 18 month mission to release a bomb into the middle of the sun, to kick start it and prevent the end of mankind. Like I said, hardly a situation or state of mind you can really "method" your way into. None the less, the characters manage to portray a seemingly realistic depiction of the variety of reactions to such a weighty task, and to such extended isolation.
Chris Evans has a surprisingly strong turn as the pilot/mechanic 'Mace'. He is one of the first to show, on screen, examples of frustration with being cooped up on a ship with only seven other people for months and month on end. After this brief blaze of emotion, Mace soon withdraws the character to a far more detached position, and as someone who puts importance behind the mission over all else. He is the one who after all suggests that they don't go looking for a lost space ship when they hear a distress beacon, as the fate of humankind is in their hands, and any risk is too high to deviate from the job at hand. This point of view is followed through by Mace in the rest of the film, and reflects a quiet stoicism to him. A character that could have come across as a generic muscle head of the film, has been given depth by Evans, as he resists human nature to look out for his fellow man, and prizes logic and the big picture over sentimentality.
Conversely to Evans' performance, I found that Cillian Murphy to be relatively flat in his role. By all means I appreciate carrying a film of this scale in concept is difficult, as I discussed above, it is hard to deliver an accurate performance for a situation that is not conceivable in our current time. None the less, I found that Murphy was lacking in creating a character with which to empathise as our leading man. He was seemingly absent of personality, and was purely a blank canvas with brains to help progress the plot and explain some of the more complicated premises. Almost every other member of the crew had a passion, or a focus, that made them feel they had more depth that their role on the ship. Murphy's character 'Capa' was amazed by the fusion of the bomb they were carrying, but this was only really shown at the beginning and end of the film, and wasn't carried through in the rest of his performance.
Actors aside, the film is handled with a massive deal of care by Boyle, and visually, it is absolutely stunning. The slow moving shots of the ship as it floats through space is an obvious homage to the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but still manages to show it in a new and innovative way. It really shows the quality of the production design and the artistic direction that they have created such beautiful wide shots of the external scenes. the challenge here would seem to be that the backdrop of space if infinitely blank, and so without having and scenery to augment the image the ability to create these images is impressive, and quite frankly beautiful.
So although this is a high concept drama, with focus on the human condition under beyond human conditions, Sunshine is a very watchable film. There are enough enigma, fast paced action sequences and tense dialogue to keep the pace going. All the while asking posing big questions regarding the place of humanity on a small individual scale, when looking on saving humanity on global scale. The parallels with current events where people look to ignore smaller morale issues in light of working towards "the greater good" are evident, and begs the question, where do we draw the line. A film made by the supporting cast and cinematography, a definite watch for fans of Boyle and modern takes on the Sci-Fi genre.
Happy viewing...
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