Amanuensis's Journal

--Oh, freaking yes. I just watched the DVD of Sunshine, the 2007 film; I was afraid it was going to resemble the vague dull mysticism of The Fountain, but instead I got everything I'd hoped for it--a little 2001 mixed with Silent Running mixed with Pitch Black. And, well, yes, of course there's Alien in it, but not so much as you'd expect, given that the premise is, um, eight astronauts in claustrophobic quarters on a mission which is interrupted by a distress call. I was not all that keen for the first 10 minutes or so, worrying that I was seeing too much The Fountain in the groundwork, but suddenly everything ramped up into serious SF and I was glued to the screen, just glued.

I can see how someone might watch this film and have the opposite reaction--think it's dumb, not be able to suspend one's disbelief (and the main scientific premise in here is one that has to register a little blip on one's disbelief, though there appears to be a theoretical physics basis for it), but, ooh, it pulled me right in. Mainly because the film dispenses with nearly all the "human interest" s**t I hate. To tell you what hated elements are not in the film would be reverse-spoilery, so I won't list them here, but I'll invite discussion and spoilers in the comments.

Watch this one in the dark. It's good that way.