Rating: 
Summary: Sunshine is . . brilliant
Review: Rarely does a movie have nearly too many characters and push three hours . . but then again, some of the finest films to grace the screen have such qualities. And Sunshine is one of these films. Sunshine's strength does not lie primarily, as one might think at first glance, in its unflinching portrayal of the defining trials and tribulations of Jewish Hungary throughout of the 20th Century. Rather, the film convinces with its portrayal of universal human yearnings that, for all their variances and inflections through time, resonate in a single, achingly human voice, just as Ralph Fiennes himself plays the protagonist from each of the three generations of the family depicted in the film. I was surprised to learn that some think that this movie seeks to propound such asinine positions as 'Jews should not assimilate,' or that the language of 'freedom' or 'security' should be embraced, or discarded. While Sunshine's tale is grounded in the legacy of a people historically marginalized, it behooves us to appreciate not only the unique character of the persons and culture portrayed, but also of the undeniable similarity of the same to all those who may but watch their actions on a screen. Rarely have such eternal themes such as love, sex, ambition, justice, and compassion been illuminated in so vast a manner, and yet, simulaneously, with such coherence and vibrance. Sunshine is not a film to be missed, but rather, one to be cherished.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthwhile and ultimately completely compelling epic
Review: A weighty picture, Sunshine passes over three generations of the Sonnenshine family over the troubled war period in Hungary. Originally the family set themselves up selling Sunshine beer, bearing three children, one of them being Fiennes, who does well as a judge. His son, Adam (Fiennes again) then goes on to win the gold medal in fencing at the Olympics, before being stripped, beaten and murdered in a concentration camp during World War II. Enraged by his father's death and consumed by guilt at not doing anything, Adam's son (played by Fiennes again) joins the Communist party, prepared to do anything he can against the fascist regime. Along the way Fiennes clocks up four women who are passionately in love with him and moves in between politics, family and love. Whilst at many times feeling like a lavish TV production that could have been serialised in three parts, each one telling the tale of one generation, there is a lot more to Sunshine than may at first meet the eye. Rather than being something that merely prides itself in period detail or the chronicling of history, the movie holds several themes that only truly come together at the very end. The natures of love and of the self are constantly questioned, as well as the question of how can we as humans define ourselves - through our family? Our religion? Our history and what we inherit? For a movie that is so firmly based in politics (and, indeed, has a lot to say on the subject), Sunshine is very focused on the individual. It's almost as if Fiennes' character is improving through each of his forefathers, realising their mistakes as well as his own and therefore true realisation of the movie's `point' as it were can only truly be found by Fiennes, and the audience, in the film's conclusion. Fiennes gives an absolutely stunning performance, making subtle character changes as well as simultaneously drawing parallels between each of the generations of the family. Beginning as proud and emotionless, he changes to someone who is capable of but ultimately fears emotion and finally into someone who is driven by and embraces it, something that certainly holds several parallels to the history that serves not just as a backdrop to the characters but also as something that may define them. Of course, it would be unfair to only mention Fiennes when so many other good actors, many who should be recognisable to a British audience, surround him. Jennifer Ehle proves that there is more to her than Pride and Prejudice and puts in another great performance, as does Rosemary Harris who plays her older self. James Fraine is also fantastic as Fienne's rebellious brother in the first story, and Rachel Weissz is again a joy in another sparkling supporting role. And perhaps it is this that makes Sunshine so special, the fact that rather than giving it to us straight, that family and women constantly impinge on the lives of the Sonneshines. This may not be something that you would necessarily watch again in a hurry (purely due to its three hour running time), but it's an experience unto itself and several lines are very moving indeed. Plus, for a story that ends in the 1950's, it feels remarkably universal.
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