Sunshine

This movie really got to me. Because I'm the kind of guy who thinks a lot about the end of the world. How it's going to look. What exactly is going to happen to us? One of those considerations, of course, relates to the extinction of our sun. That big yellow ball I curse on these hot days. Danny Boyle, a director whom I didn’t know very well up until now (of course I'm going to change that now) literally glued me to my seat and dazzled my eyes with breathtaking visuals and great direction. The actors were also perfectly cast. I'll just mention the brilliant Cillian Murphy and the surprisingly great Chris Evans (this guy has a promising future ahead of him, I'm keeping my fingers crossed). What more to say. Best movie I've seen so far this year. (2007-06-15)

When I first saw Sunshine a long time ago, I was absolutely blown away by it. Today, after watching it again, my enthusiasm has somewhat diminished. I realize that there are a lot of inconsistencies in the movie, and the slightly horror-themed plot element bothers me a bit as well. But it is still an extraordinary audiovisual experience after all these years. And Cillian Murphy as the savior of planet Earth? What more could you ask for? (75%) (2020-08-20)

Visually impressive and with a very unconventional premise, but the end result is unfortunately somewhat mixed. Thank God it's not about philosophizing on the origin or decline of humanity (although someone occasionally utters something along those lines), but rather a fast-paced and intriguing sci-fi flick with a few truly action-packed and intense moments. Surprisingly, there is a lack of scientific jargon and analysis, which is good because viewers usually have a hard time understanding them. The problem are the characters, they are only superficially sketched and we don't really learn anything about them. Then there’s the unnamed immigrant, who sticks out like a sore thumb, and it’s precisely because of this that this solid sci-fi film loses most of its attractiveness and appeal, as towards the end it becomes just clichés and a cat-and-mouse game. Despite this fatal flaw, I must say that it is a very unconventional work and as such it cannot be rated merely average. (2007-05-02)

Never mind that according to the scholarly press, Sunshine is science fiction with the most scientific and technical nonsense in years, because Danny Boyle's extremely evocative direction trumps every plot misstep. Whether it's the scene of adjusting the solar filter, repairing the protective panels, or the impressive flyover of Mercury silhouetted against the backdrop of a hot solar disc, Boyle has managed to awaken in me what I last experienced with Zemeckis' Contact: a fascination with space. And surprisingly, even the killer "zombie" at the end, whose existence in the film is so criticized, didn't bother me at all. On the contrary, with his "role" as a self-proclaimed god, he gave the film a tantalizing mysterious dimension. A must see if possible in the cinema, this is an audiovisual juggernaut designed for the big screen. (2007-09-05)

Sunshine can ignite many emotions in the viewer, whether it's fear for the success of the mission, sympathy towards certain characters, admiration for others, or being moved. It was precisely the latter that caught me in two brilliantly composed and emotionally overwhelming scenes. If Sunshine is the film of the year in something, it's the atmosphere. Boyle played with many genres and wrapped the resulting mix in a golden cover with a pessimistic touch. The result is something that probably has no equal and that everyone should see and interpret for themselves, whether it's for the better or worse, because otherwise they have no chance of understanding what I'm talking about. (2007-06-15)