Sunshine
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Canada
Movie Reviews of Sunshine
Movie Review: Took Me Home
Summary: 5 Stars
My grandfather was a Jewish, Romanian sabre champion from the same time period. He began training me when I was eight years old. This movie took me home to a taste of my own heritage.Movie Review: "Sunshine" -movie with Ralph Fiennes, Deborah Kara Unger and Rachel Weisz
Summary: 5 Stars
Greaaaaaat movie, great story, first rate cast. I watched it long time ago and absolutely had to have it so,,, I can watch it over and over again. ThanxMovie Review: Great story
Summary: 5 Stars
Long but good. Shows how lucky Americans are to live in a stable environment.Movie Review: Great Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Ralph Fiennes puts in a superb performance as well as the rest of the cast.Movie Review: History of Jewish Family for Three Generations in Hungary
Summary: 4 Stars
"Sunshine" is a fast-paced choronicle of a Jewish family for three generations, who had to live amid the stormy history of Hungary. Ralph Fiennes (known for his role in "English Patient") plays three roles here: Ignatz, an elite judge under the Hungarian empire; Adam, his son and an Olympic gold medalist for fencing; and Ivan, Adam's son and an officer under Stalinism. The impressive cast include the following: Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth of "Pride and Prejudice"); Rosemary Harris ("Tom and Viv" "Spider-man" and known as Jennifer's real-life mother); Rachel Weisz ("The Mummy"); Deborah Kara Unger ("Crush"); James Frain ("Count of Monte Cristo"); John Neville (TV's "X-Files"); and always good William Hurt and Molly Parker.
The film starts with the origin of the prospering family Sonnenschein when the great-great grandfather of the narrator Ivan Sonnenschein finds a secret recipe for medicine, which becomes an instant hit, and the family make a fortune. But a terrible accident kills him, leaving behind the money and the recipe. Until here, it takes only about five minutes. Then, you must realize that "Sunshine" does not use an ordinary, traditional storytelling.
Sure, as I said, Ralph Fiennes plays three roles in this three-hour film, which means, you are going to see three one-hour sections that cover three generations; first, our hero under Hungarian monarchy; second, him before and during the Nazi occupation; last, him under the totalitarian government during Stalinism. The film reflects three eras of Hungary, none of which are stable or peaceful. Of course, the film is about the Sonnenscheins, but at the same time it is about the turbulent history of the country.
So, at first sight, "Sunshine" looks overcrowded with characters, and many of them are given too short time to be really rounded and lively. It is also true that "Sunshine" sometimes heavily relies on its melodramatic plot device, which literally flies faster than any TV soap operas. When you see the three heroes played by Fiennes always fall in love with the wrong women, causing conflicts within and without himself, you may think that the script is too repetitious and self-indulgent. Perhaps, it should be so. The film goes intentionally fast, tracing the ups and downs of the family. But the real hero must be the time or history itself, which relentlessly influences the fate of each family member, and even the apparently solid systems of Hungarian governments.
After watching the three-hour chronicle, which actually seems like flying, you may feel something is missing; or the story itself looks too trite and obvious. But, remember, so is the history of any nation, which looks as if repeating itself countless times, never learning anything from the past. But how can we get out of this karma? By the time you come to the touching ending, where you realize that the most stable and level-headed character turns out NOT the hero, but someone else; then you know that the history of Hungary, or any other countries, is ultimately supported by women.
Final verdict. "Sunshine" may scare some people with its running time (nearly 3 hours), but its fast pace and keen eye for history will attract those who love epic-scale stories. Some may complain that it is too fast, but by the time you reach the final segment when Rosemary Harris with her moving performance appears, everything should be forgiven.