There are two things that must be brought up when issuing a review of the new Sam Rockwell sci-fi movie “Moon.”
First, there’s that Stanley Kubrick flick in ’68 called “2001: A Space Odyssey” that comes up. Apparently, that is some kind of big movie or something.
Kidding. It’s one of our favorites.
Moon Trailer
Second, you must put a insert a David Bowie reference inside the review. Preferably, a “Ground Control to …” joke to tie in the fact that the movie is the directorial debut of Duncan Jones, the son of Bowie. Those pop culture references aside, what drew us to the movie is the promise of a strong performance by the highly underrated [and very talented] Sam Rockwell. After years of supporting roles such as the “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” and “Green Mile,” it looks like Sam is ready for his lead role.
Sam Rockwell in “Moon”
And the wait was worth it.
Rockwell provides a stellar performance as the burned out Lunar miner, Sam Bell. If you still don’t recognize the name of Rockwell you may remember him from the ’99 movie “Galaxy Quest” as Guy Fleegman, the Red Shirt crewman who just wants an identity.
In “Moon,” director Duncan Jones crafts a solid tribute to sci-fi classics like “2001,” “Outland,” “Alien“ and “Silent Running.” The story is an isolated tale about a lunar miner, Rockwell, who makes a horrifying discovery with only 2 weeks left on his 3-year contract. Burned out and ready to go home, Rockwell is starting to lose his mind and hallucinate. Or is he?
We’ll keep the spoilers at bay here since “Moon” is still in limited release but what is so refreshing about Duncan Jones’ story is the bleak and simplistic vision of humanity. “Moon” was shot in around 30 days with a $5 Million budget so it can easily be classified as a sci-fi Indie flick. That’s something you just don’t see these days.
Storywise, there is a strong moral thread that questions allowing technology to take over human values and religious laws. “Moon,” is about alienation. “Moon,” is about how humans anthropomorphize technology. “Moon,” is about the paranoia that strikes you when you are in a long distance relationship. And “Moon,” is it’s about learning to accept yourself.
Jones has created a great sci-fi movie which has been missing from Hollywood for years. “Moon” is not as trippy as “2001″ and maybe not as bleak as “Silent Running.” It’s a nice mix of the two with a great Hal 9000 tribute in the computer GERTY, voiced by Kevin Spacey, who is also Bell’s only form of communication and friendship.
Fans of a character driven movie will be pleased. Science, not Science Fiction, is the basis of “Moon.” You will not find ray guns or green aliens or vinyl clad buxom alien women on this Moon. You’ll find humanity. Specifically, you will witness a lonely, desolate man in search for his place in life.
[ Rating:7.5/10 ]
[...] Spacey, currently in the fantastic movie “Moon” [see our review], sends a message from Dave to all his followers on Twitter. That is after he spends 10 minutes [...]