MOON REVIEW

MOON REVIEW

When I got around to this particular movie I threw it on just to have some background noise as I slipped into my daily nap session.  I soon noticed that I was being jerked out of nap mode by a truly spectacular Psychological Sci Fi film.  The cinematography is stunningly bleak and beautiful and each shot is brought to life perfectly by Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey (Kevin being the voice of the monotone care giving robot).  Before I give you little tid bits about this movie it's worth explaining that I'm a huge Sci-fi fan.  And no, Star Wars and Star Trek are not Sci-fi, they are fantasy.  I'm talking "Blade Runner", "Alien", "Contact", and "Children of Men" sci-fi, the kind of movie that takes an actual scientific theory or hunch and turns it into a lively emotional story.  A movie that bursts with enjoyment in tackling all sorts of moral and social issues, whether that was the main goal in the beginning of filming or not.  "Moon" even though it is a slow movie, moves at an appropriate pace, I never wanted or felt the movie needed to be fast paced and action packed.   I found myself reveling in each subtle nuance that first time director Duncan Jones was bringing to the screen.  Each camera angle perfectly setting up the loneliness and isolation that our main protaganist Sam (Sam Rockwell) is feeling.  As the film starts Sam is reaching the end of his 3 year stint on the moon, and is simply going through the daily motions until he can get home and see his wife and (now) 3 year old daughter.  The reason Sam is on the moon for this extended period of time is because he is an employee of Lunar Industries.  A company whose main profit is derived from helium-3, a substance that scientists in the near future have learned to turn into a massive and clean energy source.  Sam is the single human employee on the Moon base who's only companion is GERTY (perfectly voiced by Kevin Spacey) a lovable but sometimes genuinely creepy Robot/Base Operator.  As Sam's final weeks are coming to a close he is involved in a rover accident during a Helium 3 pick up that leaves him unconcious until he is awoken in the base infermary.  From this point forward the movie moves into psychological thriller mode and begins piling on the mystery as it picks at Sam's sanity.  Even to the point where he's under the distinct impression that there is another Sam on the base with him.  As the movie continues to build steam it brings the audience to a very emotional climax which was beautiful and difficult for me to watch.  I believe that Sam Rockwell's performance in this movie should get him some awards if not plently of acting work from here on out. He truly sucked me into the performance of not one but two Sams, and I viewed them as two completely different entities.  It's been a long time since I've been fascinated by the imagination of a movie and this one does just that.  If you're a fan of Sci-fi and written concepts about human memory and purpose then this film is for you.  If you're looking for an Action packed laser shooting popcorn fest then don't pick this one up.  It's a thinker

until next time this is Jacob Wayne