Nims Shah

A forever forgotten & underrated gem. This is Danny Boyle's magnum opus....even he himself properly wouldn't agree, given the film was a huge flop and has seemingly been relegated to the sci fi bargain bin. I saw this film in the cinema when first came out and it's maintained it's grip over me ever since. Like many other reviewers here, I've seen this film almost annually ever since and remains the only film I've written a review for. There's a lot of love for this film and an equal amount of hate. I've shown this film to many people over the fears (or forced it upon them) but the response is nearly always ...meh. I simply don't understand why. The 3rd act is famously (in the context of those who know) known for being the Achilles Heel and somewhat breaks the spell the film casts for the first hour, kind of turning it into Event Horizon. However, despite this, it is nowhere near enough to ruin the film. The cast here is exceptional and one of the rare sci fi film where everyone is cast perfectly and everyone is seemingly competent at their job (ahem Prometheus). The shining stars, for me anyway, are the visuals and the music. Danny Boyle made it's on a tiny budget compared to sci fi blockbusters of that era let alone today, yet the cinematography, lighting and use of effects are truly stunning. The scene where Mercury passes across the Sun is one of the finest in cinema history. In lesser hands, this would be a grander, more bombastic scene, however it's subtle and minimal here, underpinned by the exceptional score. In a world where Interstellar is raking in money 10 years after it's release and Sunshine has seemingly never ever been broadcast, something seems unjust. Interstellar is equally brilliant, however in very different ways. Interstellar shows you the awe inspiring scale of space, Sunshine makes you feel it. This is the best way I can finish this review off.