Look no further, MOON is this year’s best sci-fi drama of the year. Duncan Jones’ original story doesn’t meet our expectations, it surpasses them. For an indie flick, I am very impressed with the VFX that MOON has, goes to show that with great craftsmanship,… a small movie like this can go a long way. The term Oscar worthy performance is loosely used these days but Sam Rockwell claims it as his own, as if all the years of his career have led him up to this one defining moment. Rockwell’s acting is excellent, compelling, and masterful. A movie this great comes by only once in a blue MOON.
It is the near future. Astronaut Sam Bell is living on the far side of the moon, completing a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to mine Earth’s primary source of energy, Helium-3. It is a lonely job, made harder by a broken satellite that allows no live communications home. Taped messages are all Sam can send and receive.
Thankfully, his time on the moon is nearly over, and Sam will be reunited with his wife, Tess, and their three-year-old daughter, Eve, in only a few short weeks. Finally, he will leave the isolation of “Sarang,” the moon base that has been his home for so long, and he will finally have someone to talk to beyond “Gerty,” the base’s well-intentioned, but rather uncomplicated computer.
Suddenly, Sam’s health starts to deteriorate. Painful headaches, hallucinations and a lack of focus lead to an almost fatal accident on a routine drive on the moon in a lunar rover. While recuperating back at the base (with no memory of how he got there), Sam meets a younger, angrier version of himself, who claims to be there to fulfill the same three year contract Sam started all those years ago.
Confined with what appears to be a clone of his earlier self, and with a “support crew” on its way to help put the base back into productive order, Sam is fighting the clock to discover what’s going on and where he fits into company plans.
Remember the name director Duncan Jones because he’s going to be the next powerful force to be reckon with. He let Nathan Parker write the screenplay but clearly Jones has the vision down pat and knows what he wants realized on screen. He uses every resource available to not let it fall short. I’m going to own the DVD because I’m very much curious to see the making or the production of this movie. Not only will you feel like you’re on the moon, you’ll also sense the isolation and solitude that would come with it. Rockwell’s character, Sam Bell is surrounded by the same things and the same activities every single day for 3 years and the environment created will leave you in awe and also give that tedious mood, it would drive a man insane after a while.
What I enjoy the best about the story is how unpredictable it gets. I try and try to guess the explanations but it doesn’t let me put the pieces together and solve the whole puzzle until it explains itself eventually.
This could easily be a horror thriller but that was never Duncan Jones’ intention and I’m glad he chose it this way instead.
I thought the talking computer could easily be as wacko as Hal from 2001 Space Odyssey but that’s not the case. I thought the other Sam Bell could plan on killing the other guy but that’s not the case.
What we get instead is a powerful human drama that rises out of madness and chaos culminated by the longing to have your own identity, your own past, your own dreams, your own home not just something that’s been automatically programmed for you.
Great editing, perfect art design, excellent cinematography, convincing costume, and mind-blowing visual effects. Duncan Jones is lucky to have worked with talented folks who understand what he has in mind.
Some might argue this movie contains your usual sci-fi cliche,.. I’d argue back and say that this contains exactly that but takes it to a whole new level.
I need to give a special recognition to Sam Rockwell. What an incredibly astounding performance. As Astronaut Sam Bell who’s been lied to, you can see Rockwell deteriorate slowly right in front of your eyes. I don’t want to spoil too much of what you’re going to see for yourself but know this, Rockwell’s on screen presence is the top reason that would keep your attention focused. He is one of those few actors who do their careers the right way. Last year I thought he was overlooked for Choke, I hope this time he’ll finally get the nomination he deserves for this cinematic achievement.
Robert DeNiro has Raging Bull, Jack Nicholson has One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Sam Rockwell has MOON.
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