UNDER THE RADAR: SUNSHINE

Welcome to the first installment of Under the Radar, an ongoing series of Action A Go Go that will take a closer look at movies that many may have overlooked. Films that were opening against mega summer blockbusters, were a small indie release, ahead of their time, or maybe just a classic of which a new generation needs to be made aware. If you’re looking for something to throw in the ol’ Bluray player this weekend, look no further. May we recommend….

Sunshine

2007
Directed by Danny Boyle
Starring Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans

Around the time that Bluray players stopped costing the same amount of money as the GDP of Kazakhstan, I picked one up. And then the quest began: What films fall into the “Must Have” category, especially in terms of visuals? Classics such as Blade Runner, Gladiator, The Matrix and Fight Club were easy choices.  

But there was one film that fell into the category for which everyone has reserved a privileged space in their mind. A film that could be labeled as “Why The Hell Did This Film Not Win A Gazillion Oscars And Gross Hundreds Of Millions of Dollars At The Box Office And Who Are The Idiots That Gave It A Middling Review Because It’s Unquestionably The Best Film To Come Out in Years?”

That film for me?

Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) and starring Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, The Dark Knight Trilogy) and Chris Evans (Captain America, The Avengers.)

I didn’t see it in the movie theater because any poster that has the tag line “If It Dies, So Do We” just screams out “Wait for the Redbox rental!”

Once finally released on bluray, I checked it out, and realized not seeing it on the giant screen was a monumental error.

From the sci-fi geek perspective, Sunshine is one of the most visually blissful and awe inducing films….well….ever.

But the film is more than eye candy.

Superb acting. A musical score that deftly supports the mood of the film at every given moment. Complex moral and ethical dilemmas, presented in rapid succession, that make one think, “Whoa. What the hell would I do in that situation?”

And although the storyline may on the surface seem standard Hollywood fare (humans, traveling into space, to help ensure that humanity survives), I can assure you that ingratiating corporate investors and making the average movie viewer happy was the last thing on Mr. Boyle’s mind. He was more concerned with creative chances than ensuring he could generate enough income to purchase a new yacht.

Although action permeates the film, and the visuals are so intensely beautiful it’s easy to write that it’s the very type of film for which HD televisions and Bluray were invented, it is also a heavy film.

A very heavy film.

You don’t pop it in on a Friday night when friends are over for merriment and Jenga. It’s meant to be viewed alone or with friends that have attention spans and understand the importance of silence while the eyes are fixed on the screen.

It’s not a standard, formulaic film, with crowd pleasing themes and the occasional moment of substance. The entire film is of substance.



If you enjoy films that break from the mold, characters the run the gamut of human behavior from spineless to honorable, and writing that doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re expected to have an IQ of 92, you will find immense satisfaction with Sunshine. Worth owning and worth viewing again and again.

Here’s a taste.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YZ2-xR54UDU

Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. Of course he has the strength and nobility to fly directly to the sun to save humanity. Except he doesn’t do well in confined spaces. Or heat. And he needs a calculator for basic math. But, he’d still go. Aw hell. Who are we kidding? Humanity would be screwed if he were in any way connected with such a task. He’s still a nice guy though.