Sunshine

• Directed by Danny Boyle
• April 6, 2007 (UK) / July 20, 2007 (US)

In the near future a group of astronauts are sent on a difficult mission to reignite the dying Sun.

Sunshine is a movie I caught in bits and pieces over the years but never fully viewed until purchasing a physical copy. That came with its own struggles but that is a different story. It struck me as visually impressive and the brief minutes were very engaging.

It has a distinct visual style more in line with Alien than anything Star Wars. In keeping with that aesthetic, the lighting is minimal. There is a great deal of shadow with only significant areas of the ship well illuminated. Sunshine’s special effects are far better than most anything you get today even though this is an older film. CGI really has gotten worse. The plot involves our sun dying and humanity facing extinction so crew is assembled to restart the sun. Holy crap! Points for originality and pulling it off. Sounds like it’s straight out of a bad 1950 science-fiction film.

It’s not just about the mission, but there’s also a mystery that’s introduced rather quickly. This focuses on the Icarus II mission meaning there is an Icarus I mission. Nobody knows what happened to Icarus I. Boyle does not shove your face in that. Like so much else in the movie it is slipped in like information to make the scenario more believable. Boyle drops important bits of story or how things casually that get used later. You can see the seeds planted but there is no lantern hung on it other than a moment with a wrench. Some skin should have come off then.

The crew are not best pals. There is tension at the start of the film. These are individuals that have been locked up for a long time in a very confined space, but Sunshine isn’t driven by people being angry at each other. The stresses of the mission play a great deal into the drama that we see. Nothing though occurs ridiculously so. It fits with the characters.

This is a very talented cast. Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Troy Garity, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, Chipo Chung, and Mark Strong all contribute. I must give props to Chris Evans as Icarus II engineer James Mace. Fantastic performance from a guy at that point best remembered as Johnny Storm or Jake Wyler from Not Another Teen Movie. I think it was a mistake for him to take the part of Captain America. It linked him to the MCU and by default larger budgeted popcorn movies. He could’ve had a very good career in more dramatic and intellectual pieces.

I don’t think we needed to have any delving into the sibling relationship of physicist Robert Capa (Cillian Murphy). I don’t remember the name of his sister who only makes an appearance at the very end of the film to signify the mission was a success. All you needed was a moment on Earth that brightened up like what we got when we finally saw her. Saving humanity from extinction was enough emotion and motivation for the character. 

I can’t say I’m big on Michelle Yeoh these days. She is certainly being pushed after her time on Star Trek: Discovery and it looks like from that and a few other parts Yeoh is simply taking roles to make a good sized payday. Nothing wrong with that but as an actress it should be more or in addition to that. She’s a talented actress and demonstrates that here as oxygen garden tender Corazon. It’s a small part (no full name) but an important one and her death in the film is rather tragic. In her short time she makes a likeable character.

What really gets this moving to high gear is the presence of Mark Strong as Icarus I captain Pinbacker. His performance solidified my fandom of Mark Strong as an actor. He has the delivery and he’s just perfect as the captain of the first mission who in a frenzy of religious zeal has decided humanity must die. Though in full body make up, Boyle keeps strong out of focus turn the character into a nearly supernatural threat. Your mind creates so much around his appearance and around him. What bothers me is that nobody ever figured this out before the mission. I would presume a level of psychological testing would occur to determine long-term emotional stability. Anywho…

One caveat in science-fiction is gravity on ships. Given that this occurs in the near future (2057) I’m not sure where the artificial gravity comes from. That is a significant advancement not on the horizon. There’s no noticeable spin on the ship to physically anchor the characters to the floor.

My issues with gravity aside this it feels possible. From the celestial event which forces the missions to the solution even if the science is not 100% accurate. The foundations of the scenario and the performances make it believable enough that you can get past any questions or concerns. This is serious and downbeat film that teases hope along with failure until the end. No matter how often you see it you will be uncertain on success or failure.

Sunshine is an excellent somber science-fiction film. It’s a dramatic thriller that doesn’t rely on cool effects but the acting of the performers. Must see.