Will the real Danny Boyle please stand up? After hitting it big in the independent film circuit with 1996's Trainspotting, Boyle's proceeding works might best be characterized as a game of "guess what I've got in my hand?" Both the pleasing and frustrating aspect of Boyle's work is that it's so hard to pin down. Most great directors have a certain signature (as is the case with someone like the Coen brothers, Spike Lee, Martin Scorcese, etc.). Other directors, such as Rob Reiner, have a real craftsman approach to making films: their films may not stand out as aesthetic achievements but they are solidly built and very easy to watch. Usually, directors who lack style tend to fall into the latter category. Again, I have nothing against Reiner or people like him (in fact, I look forward to most Rob Reiner films because I know that they will be well crafted), it's just that those films tend not to leave any great impression.
Boyle, on the other hand, definitely leaves an impression (most of the time) but each film's style varies so much it's hard to figure out what he's trying to do. Trainspotting had a certain Tarantino-esque kineticism about it. But then his next film, A Life Less Ordinary, falls more into traditional romantic-comedy territory. His other films also include The Beach (with DiCaprio) and the "zombie" film 28 Days Later (and, yes, I know the infected in 28 days later are not technically zombies). Millionaire is a quaint British comedy much in the vain of Billy Elliot (albeit much less saccharine). Most recently, Boyle's released Slumdog Millionaire. In between these last two films is Sunshine, Boyle's attempt at science fiction.
The reason that I went on and on about Boyle's lack of a distinct style (which, again, I don't think is necessarily a bad thing) is that while I certainly enjoyed Sunshine, I think it definitely lacked a strong sense of vision -- it lacked a clear director's eye. At times, the film leaned towards a meditation in much the same vein as Kubrik's 2001: A Space Odyssey while at other times it wanted to be like Ridley Scott's Alien (not to be confused with James Cameron's Aliens), much more suspense-oriented, plot-driven narrative. While it's certainly possbile to have both, Sunshine rang false to me. Those moments of introspection and action seemed forced.
Overall, I don't think this is a bad film but I am glad that I watched it at home rather than paying $10 to see it in a theater.
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