The Frame

Here’s an example of a current sci-fi film which I’m glad to say also counts as actually science fiction. The premise is that the sun is dying, and we have sent up a team in a spaceship with a huge atomic payload in the hopes that exploding the bomb in the sun will reignite it. A previous ship had tried to do the same thing, but had gone missing; don’t worry, it turns up. And when I say “don’t worry,” I mean from the standpoint of narrative; for the characters’ safety you should definitely worry. I’m not shy about admitting that I pretty much think Danny Boyle is a visionary director (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Millions, among others), and this is no exception. Sunshine is visually stunning from start to finish, allows plenty of time for philosophic contemplation and ethical dilemmas, not to mention the hugely disorienting ending sequence (possibly too disorienting, actually–it’s the one place I think Boyle may have gone too far into self-indulgence). The downside is that, as evidenced by the delays and short theatrical run, distributors don’t have any idea how to market a sci-fi/action film as cerebral as this one. But if you like Boyle’s previous work, or 2001, or Tarkovsky’s Solaris, seek out Sunshine.
Well Above Average