Cynical Cinema

As a film nerd, there are certain movies people assume I have seen. They will quote these movies to me as though I will automatically know what they are talking about. “You know the guy who plays Bob Slydell in Office Space”…or “remember that scene in Pink Flamingos…” and nine times out of ten, I have indeed seen the movie. However, I am still missing out on a few. One of those films is Trainspotting. Oh, I have had opportunities. In fact, I actually own a copy, but ever since I got it I just haven’t had a chance to watch it, or haven’t been in a mood to see it. And I know I should, and I know it will be good, and I love the rest of Danny Boyle’s stuff. He is the same guy who directed 28 Days Later, one of the most original zombie movies in twenty years, and now Sunshine, a movie I can describe only as breathtaking. It is available on Blu-Ray, and although I just watched it on regular DVD, I must say that if ever a film was created for Blu-Ray and HD, it is Sunshine (or maybe that Planet Earth box set).

As I watched Sunshine, two movies came almost immediately to mind. Event Horizon (although Sunshine was much better) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (although Sunshine wasn’t nearly that good). The main reason was that the first half plays very close to 2001. The talking computer that guides the ship, the incredible visuals of outer space, and the tense moments on spacewalks outside the ship itself. Then there is a moment that ranks up there with that “open the pod bay doors, HAL” moment in 2001. “There is enough oxygen on the ship for four people, right?” I won’t explain it. Those of you who have seen the movie will understand, those of you who have not ought to see the film. From that turning point on, the end of the film is very reminiscent of Event Horizon, again because of the visuals and because of the chaotic way in which it is filmed.

This is the only truly weak point of Sunshine, the chaotic nature of the ending. It is not bizarre in the same way the ending to, say, a Bergman film is bizarre. There IS a conclusion, it DOES make some sort of sense, but it is not that well thought out. If you pay close attention, and watch a few more times, then you end up with more questions than you had before. If you don’t pay close attention, and you just let the visuals overwhelm you until the credits roll, you won’t understand what’s happening at all. But this is a minor quibble, since the visuals are the main reason to watch. Cillian Murphy is terrific, as usual. He and Danny Boyle are one of those actor-director duos who are springing up everywhere now. (Cronenberg and Mortensen, Tarantino and Thurman, Lynch and Dern, Burton and Depp, etc…) And they do their best work together.

For a list of the best actor-director tandems of all time, check out this blog, I think it’s pretty good:
http://www.bestweekever.tv/2007/11/02/top-10-actor-director-tandems-in-movie-history/

Sunshine is a brilliant movie, and if you don’t mind a little bit of abstract art, you will thoroughly enjoy it. And if you have Blu-Ray, that also is a must when you’re renting.