British Actress Blog

Sunshine (1999)

Score: 7/10

Director: István Szabó

Stars: Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, Jennifer Ehle.

Sunshine

Rachel Weisz

Synopsis: The fate of a Hungarian Jewish family throughout the 20th century.

Review: After Mr. Sonnenschein, blows himself up making a distilled health tonic, his son, Emmanuel ( David de Keyser ) sets out to make money for his family by making the same tonic that got his father killed. After successfully making a health tonic company and raising his children, his son Adam ( Ralph Fiennes ) becomes a judge fulfilling his childhood dream.

Mr. Sors

Ralph Fiennes

Rachel Weisz gives a lot of emotion in this movie. She still shows her charming side but the fear of death and panic she shows in this film is actually very impressive. You can tell that the emotion is inspired by how real people have felt in World War II. Here is another film based off of similar subject matter Denial (2016) and a film where she played a Russian sniper during the same war Enemy at the Gates (2001). Ralph Fiennes plays three different characters, grandfather, father, and son. Ralph Fiennes give one of the best performances I have ever seen him give in a movie. He really poured his heart and soul into this film completely, most likely because of the powerful subject matter of the film.

Greta

Rachel Weisz

The film focuses on the concept of enjoying life while you still have it. Through out the film we see the Sonnenschein family beaten down and lifted up by politics of the day. The family some how keeps going. Not a family film at all. The movie is very raw. From the sex scenes to the violence, this film holds nothing back. This is the most ‘real’ movie I have ever scene in my entire life. Even today’s politics reflect in this film. The genocide of World War II plays a critical role in this movie so be warned about disturbing imagery.

Greta and

Hannah

The cinematography is well done. This film has an old look to it so you get the illusion that you are looking back into time. Even though the film was released in 1999 the movie looks like it was filmed with either 1970s or 1980s technology. The camera shots are not perfect, but very suitable for the scenes. The wide shots capture the great backgrounds of the film. The color looks aged, which adds to the vintage look of the time period. The set dressing, lighting, and wardrobe are all very well done. The movie has good narration in the beginning of the film much like the movie The Lord of the Rings (2001). The transitions from scene to scene are awful. You feel the emotion of one scene, then the film goes to another scene in a snap, making you wonder what happen? where is the film taking you next? Films usually use some sort of transition from one scene to the next so that the viewer knows that is happening and why. The movie is about three hours long and it is anything but boring. The story is all ways being pushed forward. This is not a happy movie either. Some of the violence scenes in the film are extremely disturbing since they are based on actual events during World War II genocide. Most people watch films to escape reality. If your into history and want to watch a film based on the events of World War II then give this film a try, if not then skip this one.

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