(Pre) Sunshine discussion

johnny_ultimate

Well, its one helluva trailer.
I have found myself looking forward to this more and more. Which is odd, as I wouldnt consider myself a fan of Danny Boyle (found both Trainspotting and 28 Days to be a little underwhelming).
But this looks like my kind of film. Seems like a modern 2001. Im a big fan of 'intelligent' sci-fi, and this looks like one of the most intelligent around. Some of the shots in the trailer are wonderfully composed.
Anyone else going to the wonderfully 'free' preview on Thursday?

Rhyme

A lot of people i know who have read the premise discard this instantly but the more i read and the more trailers i see the more i'm interested in this. The trailer i saw last Friday at 300 really got me geared up, can't wait.

johnny_ultimate wrote:

Anyone else going to the wonderfully 'free' preview on Thursday?

Where is this 'free' preview and what time?

The trailers don't actually do anything for me. Hasn't the music been used in several different trailers? When I first saw it, I just got the impression of one of those cheesy 80s sci-fi films, just with less aliens.

johnny_ultimate

Rhyme wrote:

Where is this 'free' preview and what time?

Anyone who went to the Fountain at the Film Festival got free tickets to see it in Cineworld on Thursday.

Vokes

The ensemble cast-list looks great - no superstars overwhelming the film which is always good.

It looks like there's a very bleak mood / setting to the film's plot (a bit like 28 Days Later in a way) - this could be a good one, i hope.

Rhyme

johnny_ultimate wrote:

Anyone who went to the Fountain at the Film Festival got free tickets to see it in Cineworld on Thursday.

Damn... can you still buy your way in like most other previews?

Jello

Really looking forward to it, saw the trailer at 300 and got more excited. And yes, the music is from 'Requiem For A Dream' and it's been used lots of times before, but it's one of my favourite soundtracks.

Petey2006

I too, echo the 'really looking forward to it' sentiments. Unlike a great many other people, I really enjoyed 28 Days Later. I saw it on DVD having heard little to nothing about it, and I was really impressed. What I have seen of Sunshine so far, I really like. I like a good sci-fi if done well, so I have high hopes for this one.

damienom

There's a Q&A with Boyle and Murphy in the IFI tonight - presume it's well sold out though at this stage.

Goodshape

damienom wrote:

There's a Q&A with Boyle and Murphy in the IFI tonight - presume it's well sold out though at this stage.

Well and truly

Going to the 'free' Thursday screening myself, which I'm well pleased with as I bought my ticket for Fountain at the time - not for Sunshine (and The Fountain was brilliant).

Don't know much about this film really. Saw a very short trailer and thought it looked cool.. was going to leave it at that and go in with minimal knowledge, but the trailer at 300 seemed to run through the entire film in about three minutes. ****ing hate that, particularly in a cinema when you can't look away.

The Spiderman 3 trailer at 300 was even worse.. bloody thing lasted about five minutes.

Ah well, it should be good. I liked 28 Days Later, though it got a bit dull towards the end.

//edit
..just after getting a call from a friend with a spare ticket for tonights screening and Q&A

Ich bin ein Happy Camper

damienom

Anyone at the IFI last night - not really sure what to make of the film, Q&A was worth going to just to listen to Brian Cox nearly orgasm talking about space....some man for one man

charlesquinn

Jello wrote:

And yes, the music is from 'Requiem For A Dream' and it's been used lots of times before, but it's one of my favourite soundtracks.

Yea what an amazing piece of music, but talk about overuse. It's become bog standard, its been used in countless movies, trailers and tv commercials. Its painful. Its overuse to the point of cliché has stifled any dramatic impact it ever had. This wont be the last time you will hear it either!

Goodshape

damienom wrote:

Anyone at the IFI last night - not really sure what to make of the film, Q&A was worth going to just to listen to Brian Cox nearly orgasm talking about space....some man for one man

Yeah, I was there.

I really enjoyed the film. I'm a sucker for sci-fi anyway and love to see new takes on the genera - films set in space without necessarily being 'science fiction' stories at the core. I think Sunshine falls into that category.

It got a little silly towards the end (

I didn't like the captain of Ikarus 1 - thought that was a bit of a cop-out story-wise. Everything was tense enough and interesting enough without needing to add a 'monster' into the equation

).

Overall though, I thought it was a really good film.

The Q+A afterwards was good too. Brian Cox was good craic alright. Hope his next project - recreating the conditions just after the Big Bang - goes well

The woman introducing the film seemed to think it was the actor Brian Cox showing up.. oops.

qwertplaywert

looks like good movie, love Cillian mUrphy,so will proberly see

starn

I loved this film. What a amazing score. I was at the screening at the IFI. Got the impression that Cillian Murhy really didnt want to be there. Bit surprised that Irvin Walsh didnt put in a apperance.

monkeyfudge

I saw it last night and enjoyed it a lot.

It's definitely one you want to see on the big screen as there are some beautifully composed shots in it.

My main problem with the film was the crew annoyed me a great deal. In 2001 the members of the mission were highly professional, highly intelligent and competent people. The crowd on this mission were like a bunch of people you'd meet for a few points down in the pub. They were all just a bit too laid back for my liking and none of them came across as being particularly intelligent.

I didn't mind the shift in pace towards the end... it's certainly jarring... but I think it worked. It's similar I guess to how that last act of 28 Days Later works.

Oh yes... and I thought the music in the film was a bit over the top in parts... it could certainly have done with a more subdued score.

johnny_ultimate

After looking foward to this, I must admit Im a little let down.
First let me point out the good points though: it is extremely intense. It has good solid suspense running throughout. Nary a breath is drawn as the mission becomes more hazardous.
Monkeyfudge mentioned the score being a little over the top, but I loved it. The little soft piano bits reminded me of a Sigur Ros style. For me, the soundtrack was the strongest element. Well, that and the visuals, which are pretty stunning.
And its a beautifully composed film at time.

the scene where the botanist looked on as her garden was destroyed stands out as a moment of superb cinematography. And the opening shot - seen in the trailer - is spectacular

Yet for me the stench of over-familiarity dented the admittedly admirable elements of the film. Scenes such as

the examination of Icarus I

felt like they were lifted straight from Alien. It tried to go for a 2001 type vibe at the end, but in my view didn't achieve that level of insight or beauty. The Fountain was certainly a companion piece to this, but whereas that achieved moments of pure cinematic art, Sunshine came close, but never quite reached it's admirably high ambitions.

Also I thought the ending shot was a little tacked on - 28 days later symptom, perhaps?

.