The opening few minutes of Sunrise are at first compelling and overdone all at once. When scenes remain on screen for too long and are repeated often - it begs the question..."does this film maker have a grasp on the importance of his story or simply aiming for extended stylish pop-art"? For an artistic director turned feature director 'Sunrise' is Mumbai born Partho Sen-Gupta's second full length movie as writer/director.
The story is an important one, given that thousands of children go missing each year with most ending up in the repulsive child sex trade. So perhaps Sen-Gupta's movie could have been worthy of better shape and some conventional styling to add a little more accessibility to its nightmarish eye-of-the-beholder dreamscape. As it stands, it's unsure where the protagonists's guilt-ridden psychic dreams and reality merge - making it difficult work for general audiences looking to lock-into something tangible. Jean-Marc Ferriere's Cinematography is dazzling, considering the locations and he makes remarkable use of lighting and a water drenched setting. Most of the youthful cast also do well given their difficult subject matter - though perhaps more could have been done to better develop a couple of these situations.
Good but maybe could have been better with less art and more class.
