SUNSHINE

http://www.sunshine-lefilm.com/
plot : "Sun going down in smoke."
thought : "A beautiful, depressing, amazing voyage."

I had high hopes for Danny Boyle's newest flick--he being the same director who brought us TRAINSPOTTING and 28 DAYS LATER (the latter of which, out of fear, I never saw). I can't say they were thoroughly dahsed...but it also took very long to shake the sudden, saddening, "Oh, no, what have I walked into ?" feeling that rose up and hit me about 40 minutes in. It's a visual ride, a sci-fi thrill of sunshine and stardust that will leave your eyes burning for more...until a plot twist turns sci-fi into scary and the characters you haven't even had the time to learn to love yet struggle to keep their mission alive.

Well, at least they're good-looking.

Though he's delivered better than we get to see in this pciture, Cilian Murphy (BATMAN BEGINS et LE VENT SE LEVE (the wind that shakes the barely) among others) is always a pleasure for the eyes and, in this case, the plot. Despite his presence, SUNSHINE may still leave you blue. I sure was. So if you don't have the patience for a Sunday afternoon downer, just go see a romantic comedy, sneak into SUNSHINE right before the credits, and enjoy the whole film in 4 minutes--thanks to Boyle's apt decision to stream the more visually stunning images from the film in sequential order alongside the credits--underscored by a lovely, fantastically depressing song by UNDERWORLD. That basically sums up the whole experience.

Rating : (I have to split this one up) 4/5 directing, 2/5 overall