Sunshine

A complex, cross-generational saga about the social, romantic and soul-searching struggles of a proud Jewish family in early 20th century Hungary, Sunshine stars Ralph Fiennes in three separate roles as the eldest son of each generation--an austere turn-of-the-century judge, a confident championship fencer in the 1930s, and a broken, bitter Holocaust survivor during and after World War II. But with nearly a century of territory to cover and more than a dozen primary characters to enfold, the film (even at 180 minutes!) feels rushed--like the cinematic equivalent of Cliffs Notes for a great novel. Beautifully structured and strongly acted, it's an engrossing, powerful effort that would have been much better as a six-part Masterpiece Theatre-style miniseries. Co-starring Rachel Weisz, James Frain, Jennifer Ehle and her mother, Rosemary Harris (playing young and old versions of the same character), this is a strong, optional purchase. (R. Blackwelder)