|
|
|
“Sun”-Shines |
|
|
|
Written by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN
|
|
Friday, 20 July 2007 |
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” is a pretty
apt way to describe the trend in science-fiction
films. Modern day sci-fi is a world populated by
convoluted minutiae, with stories that buckle under
exposition and plot twists. Even when these movies are
good (“Minority Report,” “Primer,” “The Matrix”) it
seems as though more time is spent explaining the how
and why of the story than actually allowing that story
to unfold. It’s like we’ve all forgotten that some of
the best stories are the simplest ones, and that goes
double for sci-fi. If you look back at some of the
best science-fiction films like “The Day the Earth
Stood Still” or “Alien,” you discover that, while
they’re filled with complicated ideas, their stories
are relatively straightforward.
| | |
“Sunshine”
|
 Entertainment
Art
Starring Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, and Michelle
Yeoh
Directed by Danny Boyle
Written by Alex Garland
Rated R for violent content and language
Released on July 20, 2007
|
| | |
It is this aspect of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s
new film, “Sunshine,” that I think I most appreciate.
The film has one of those classic “men-with-a-mission”
premises that instantly draws you in and allows you to
take everything that follows at face value. Honestly,
the sci-fi element of the film is so simple and
intriguing that I’m surprised no one's thought of it
before: In the not-too-distant future the sun is dying
out and the earth is freezing because of it. A group
of astronauts is sent in a forebodingly named ship,
the Icarus II, to deliver their “payload” (a really,
really, really big bomb) in an attempt to reignite the
sun. Among the crew is Capa (a solid Cillian Murphy),
the physicist; Ace (Chris Evans, who should appear in
films like this more often), the technician; Corazon
(Michelle Yeoh), the oxygen specialist; Searle (Cliff
Curtis), who is a bit too enthralled by the light of
sun; and a handful of others. Along their way, the
crew discovers the remains of the Icarus I, the first
attempt that met with a tragic and mysterious end. The
crew decides to investigate and, like every other good
piece of sci-fi, complications ensue.
Also, like other good sci-fi, the more fantastical
elements are not the main focus here, but rather the
people who are forced to deal with them. This is
something that a lot of sci-fi films get wrong:
Interesting ideas and lots of special effects are
great but ultimately meaningless if you have nothing
but cardboard cut-outs to react to it. The characters
in “Sunshine” act like real people and a majority of
the tension in the film comes not from aliens (of
which there are none, contrary to what the trailer is
trying to sell you) or asteroids, but rather from the
group slowly imploding on itself when faced with a
dire situation.
As he did with “28 Days Later,” director Danny Boyle
shoots the whole thing in a simple but elegant style.
Credit should also be given to production designer
Mark Tildesley for making the Icarus II look realistic
and functional, like something NASA might actually
design. Credit, in fact, should be given all around,
from the haunting music composed by the band
Underworld, to the dream-like special effects that
invoke both “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “The
Fountain.”
While the film isn’t perfect (the third-act is a bit
too bizarre for its own good, and a plot twist towards
the end strains credibility a tad), “Sunshine” still
makes for one of the few solid films this summer, as
well as a welcome return to good, old-fashioned
science-fiction. |
And they still don't.
Written by Guest on 2007-07-20 10:06:00
Odd: I don't remember the characters in my favorite sci-fi classics ("Alien," "The Thing from Another World," etc.) being quite as overpoweringly stupid as the crew of the Icarus II. Lowered expectations for the modern age, eh? |
Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
Other Recent Articles by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN:The Top Ten Movies of 2007An Interview with Diablo Cody and Ellen Page of “Juno”An Interview with “The Savages” director, Tamara JenkinsBang! Kapow! BOOM! ‘Nuff said.2 stars for “3:10”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
