Review of Sunshine (2007) by Chads. — 01 Aug 2007

You'll be hard-pressed to recall a science-fiction film with better characterizations and casting than "Sunshine". Story-wise, this "Alien"-like homage is nothing to write home about, but the presence of Cillian Murphy(who shows more passion for a male crewmate than towards.

..), Rose Byrne(who seems on the verge of making a sexual advance towards Capa(Murphy) before the ship's alarm creates a orientational impasse), and Michelle Yeoh(who gets to play vulnerable instead of exhibiting steely resolve for a change, she gets weepy over a plant) makes the professional interactions of this Benneton space-nation more interesting than their actual mission, which enables this film to be thought of fondly as the thinking man's "Armageddeon".

The filmmaker could've done a better job at setting up the film's pivotal suspenseful moment. This filmmaker isn't trying to make a cerebral film like "2001: A Space Odyessy, so it's incompetence, not transcendence that's achieved when the ship's menace is made relevant.

There's no build-up. Still, the integrated cast is well-chosen and more importantly, organic. There isn't the whiff of tokenism you get from the "Harry Potter" films.