[Ex Deo]

Sunshine

The (not so) new flick from Danny Boyle, director of films such as Millions, Trainspotting, and 28 Days Later.

The film takes place roughly 50 years in the future, and according to Capa (Cillian Murphey), who narrarates in the beginning, the sun is dying, resulting in a solar winter on Earth. So, in response to this, a mission is launched by all of humanity, to re-ignite the failing sun by sending a vessel with a nuclear payload the size of Manhattan into our star. Seven years prior to the mission in which Capa is involved, a first mission was launched with the same goal, that vessel was named Icarus I, but eventually contact was lost with the ship and the mission was assumed to have failed because the sun never regained strength. So, Icarus II was subsequently launched with the same purpose, and employing the same means.

Despite some obviously flawed science, the film succeeds remarkably well for the most part, with only a few minor hiccups. The most striking aspect of the film is the visuals, which are breathtaking, and few moments go by without the director reminding the audience of the enormity and importance of the crew's mission, as well as their utter isolation out in the depths of space, and their relative insignificance within the vast universe. One scene, more than any other accomplishes this brilliantly, as the crew enters the observation deck to gaze as the planet Mercury enters their view; it's size juxtaposed hauntingly against the gigantic star looming in the background.

The cast does exceptionally well under the guidance of director Danny Boyle, who had the cast spend several months together, prior to filming, in order for them to form a more natural bond and sense of camaraderie. Chris Evans, best known as Johnny Storm, from The Fantastic Four, gives what is probably his best performance yet as Mace, the ship's engineer, who when faced with the decision to veer slightly from their primary objective, in the hopes of increasing their payload, by combining theirs with Icarus I's (which is discovered hovering immediately before the sun), he objects, understanding that the slightest detour risks everything, most importantly, humanity's ultimate fate.

Near the end, the film becomes somewhat like Scream in space, as a villain is introduced in the form of the captain of Icarus I, who seeks to sabotage the mission, for fear of invoking God's wrath. He believes God has chosen to instigate man's doom with the death of the sun. Despite the disappointing inclusion of this element, the horror it introduces is genuine, and fairly effective.

One thing Boyle does well is play the film very subtly, refusing to go the more melodramatic route, and allows the characters to exist more realistically, which is helpful under the strain of such a preposterous scenario. Near the end, the director strays from this and chooses to up the emotional ante of the final scene on Icarus, and the result is vastly unnerving, however, the moment is brief, and immediately following, the audience is given the true finish, which returns to the previously subtle, yet effective tone.

The film is definitely worth checking out, sadly it's not playing in many theaters here in the States.