Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle, is only a visual and psychological journey, not an emotional one. Chris Evans, from Fantastic Four, surprisingly gives a realistic and convincing performance as to how an astronaut would act in the face of the end of the world. What tremendous pressure they must feel, but unfortunately no one other than the human torch conveys this. Capa (Cillian Murphey), in one scene, explains that he doesn't fear death, but his explanation only makes me feel like his character has no will or motivation to live. This comes across as bad acting rather than subliminal character development. The computer generated imagery enhances the confused story that makes for a so-so experience. Notice how I say that the story is confused, it does not know what it is and therefore suffers from a failure to present itself well. More on the story later.
The sun is a character of its own; constantly we are being shown solar images that convey its sheer power. In the observation room, a meer five percent of sunlight exposure can blind you. The films screenwriter, Alex Garland, and Danny Boyle are said to have disagreed over the meaning of the screenplay; Garland finds it as a reference to the search for God, while Boyle finds it representing global warming. The film's villain is really the the sun, where tragedy and confusion is based in light and the audience find refuge in the dark. Boyle references tackling this concept as "quite a challenge because the way you generate fear in cinema is darkness." It is rare when a science fiction film tries to convey deeper meaning.
The film, I would say, is split into three acts: the first is character interaction during a calm period, the second is the accident and the quest to fix it, and the third is the twist where everything is turned upside down. We have all seen poor attempts at this science fiction disaster genre like The Core, but never before has a film like this thrown in such a disastrous twist that completely flushes itself down the toilet. Alex Garland has certainly got some explaining to do.
My main problem with this film is my lack of interest in the characters and the horrendous plot twist that turns this philosophical journey into a sub par slasher flick. This is a great film for fans of Boyle and the genre, but how much you let the third act disappoint you is, well...up to you. 7/10.
