I think this is Boyle’s best work. Although I feel the movie falls apart in the third act, its hard to argue with those gorgeous visuals. I watched it on Blu-Ray and I was in heaven.
“What do you see?”
This is the most intense film I’ve ever seen in the cinema. The overrated reviews for Slumdog Millionaire compared to underrated reviews of Sunshine reveal just how backward critics are. I think the third act maybe falls apart a little bit – becoming more of a horror monster ala Mike Myers! – but is redeemed by the way Boyle shoots the villain. Carrying over from the sublime aesthetic of the rest of the film, Pinbecker is shown more as a distorted bundle of sunlight – it’s impossible to fully see him without facing a breakdown of vision.
I absolutely loved Pinbecker and that whole chapter in the film. The way they set up Pinbecker’s first appearence was excellent.
I absolutely loved Pinbecker and that whole chapter in the film. The way they set up Pinbecker’s first appearence was excellent.
I adore Sunshine – such a brilliant film. Even the third act, which does take a really different stylistic approach, I believe is executed really well. I loved how it brought in the whole concept of being driven mad by the sun.
Sunshine was a great theater experience. I don’t think it works as well at home but when I saw it in the theater, the visuals and the SOUND were mind blowing. I remember leaving the theater going “Wow, that was an incredible experience.” I would say it’s Boyle’s second best film after 28 Days Later and in both films, he really brought something new to the genre. Yeah, the story sort of falls apart in the third act and like I said, I’ve watched it on DVD and it’s not as exhilerating an experience. But still a worthwhile flick.
Watching it on a huge widescreen home theater with surround sound is pretty awesome as well.
I love Sunshine. It’s probably one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever seen. The contrast of color, cold vs. hot, the gorgeous saturated golds and bronzes. The music is perfect for the film, and it makes me angry that other films are using it to lesser effect (see the Wolverine trailer). The third act starts out absolutely brilliantly, but the movie unfortunately devolves into a slasher flick until the conclusion (which I love).
To me, 28 Days Later and Sunshine are Danny Boyle’s best movies, and Sunshine is ridiculously underrated.
just curious as to why it was so under the radar…? i dont even think any theaters near me were showing Sunshie at all.
O and I talked with John Murphey (Sunshine and 28 Days Later composer) on facebook! hahaha
Oh, and this is probably the best piece of music in the movie. I hear it and can’t help but think about Sunshine.
I loved the film, and think it to be Boyle’s best as well. I also agree that that the final third of the film (and actually, more specifically, the inclusion of the Pinbacker incident) is somewaht problematic, and will ultimately keep the film from being considered truly great, which it otherwise would be. I, on the other hand, think that the rest of the film transcends its few faults, and the ending is one of the most gratifying of the decade.
I haven’t heard any of Boyle’s commentary, having seen the film in the theater. Does he ever talk about whether Pinbacker is homage to O’Bannon’s Dark Star, and its character, Pinback?
i did listen to the commentary for Sunshine but i dont think he mentioned that…
It may very well be that there is no connection Sekzee. Given that that ships in both films carried enormously powerful bombs (albeit for separate purposes), and similar themes (Dark Star, done comedically, Sunshine, quite seriously), about human failure in space, I just thought that the names seemed to similar too be an accident. It certainly could be just a coincidence.
its prolly an homage to that earlier film, is Dark Star a good film?
Actually, I’d call it more an interesting experiment. It’s chiefly known as an early film directed by John Carpenter and co-written with Dan O’Bannon, who actually plays Pinback in Dark Star, and who later became known for his involvement in the Alien series of films (I believe he wrote the screenplay for Alien).
Dark Star has cheesy effects, a wry sense of humor, an unbelievable premise, and a really interesting philosophical conversation between a man and the ultimate version of what we now call a ‘smart bomb.’ Low budget, but you can see the budding talent throughout. Worth a look.
thanks a lot Armand ill take a look
Sunshine definitely went unnoticed which was a damn shame, since its easily one of the better films Ive seen in the last half decade. And Seksee I second your thoughts on the CG. Its one of the few films that got it right and didnt become purely excessive.
yes, the commentary reveals the pinbecker name is a reference to Dark Star.
I also agree with Fredo – unfortunately the film isn’t the same experience outside the cinema. I remember the scene when the Captain dies – I felt my soul had been sucked out of me, so sublime…
Thanks, Dave, I was wondering about that.
An excellent film for the most part, but for me that third act ruins most of the good work. It justs sinks further and further into absurdity.
I’m going to have to second Christine in that John Murphy’s soundtrack is excellent. “Surface of the Sun” is such an incredible piece. Great movie overall.
I don’t understand a lot of people’s inability to “take the third act seriously”. I mean come on, first they praise it for emphasizing the science in sci-fi, but it doesn’t really do that. It’s just a solid drama that takes place in space – unusual in and of itself.
The third act isn’t really a big left field thing either, the film actually sets it up practically from the building they just weren’t paying attention apparently.
I’m glad someone mentions the Dark Star reference, I remember when I first saw it it was bugging the hell out of me why that name sounded familiar.
I’ve already commented pretty extensively in favour of the film on some thread on here about Boyle and it was almost unanimously opposed. It’s interesting that everyone seems to like it now, heh.
Patapon
I thought Id post a film review I wrote just for fun:
If the sun dies, so do we; a self-explanatory and rather frivolous testimonial but has any of us ever concerned ourselves with the reality of how such an event might occur? Danny Boyle’s sci-fi, space odyssey breathes careful authenticity into this catastrophic possibility.Pre-dating the overwhelming success of Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine went respectively unnoticed. Boyle, most notably known for his visionary thriller 28 Days Later, was still an obscure name in the industry. The film, however, exceeded expectations. Its relatively small cast of under-the-radar actors had us all skeptical at first but in the end left a fresh and unique impression. The character development was equally divided among the actors which allowed for each individual to take on a major task that greatly impacted the mission. The lack of star performances allows the film to focus primarily on the mission and what it means for Earth if unsuccessful.
From the opening sequence to the unbelievable climax, we are hit with some of the most astounding visual effects ever witnessed on screen. Breathtaking CG images are seamlessly layered within the constructs of the film and intertwined with real environments and the actors themselves. An unforgettable moment of cinematic genius is sparked when the crew, through a filtered light-reducing shield in the ships main hull, is witness to a small object orbiting the sun. The tiny, shadowed object is Mercury. Though quite large in reality, it is dwarfed by the blinding presence of the sun. This shot alone depicts the enormity of what “Earth’s saviors” are up against.
In spite of the time and effort put into the visuals of the film we are left with an electrifying plot that pulls our emotional strings every step of the way. Among the best science fiction films of the 21st century, Sunshine burns a fiery image into the minds of those fortunate enough to have seen it.