Moon
Directed by Duncan Jones
Released June 12, 2009
Previews made “Moon” look like classic sci-fi films like “Alien” and recent releases like “Sunshine,” where a crew in deep space in the future encounters unexpected phenomena as they travel further and further away from civilization. The hook with “Moon” is that astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is out there on his own, mining the moon for resources that help provide the Earth with unlimited power. He’s accompanied by computer Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey), who provides him with assistance, guidance, companionship, and even smiley faces via a small television screen. Bell’s three-year solo mission is almost up, and just as he’s ready to go home, he begins questioning exactly what’s going on up on the moon. The mystery is quickly solved, and while it presents an intriguing moral thesis, it should be more complex. It’s not that science fiction should be difficult to comprehend, it’s just that the story doesn’t have much to do it. It’s regrettably simplistic, and so much more could have been explored beyond simply posing a question about how one man can and should operate while disconnected from civilization. Rockwell is an able actor whose initial bickering nature is obnoxious, but over the course of the film becomes sympathetic. Spacey has an incredible voice perfectly matched to that of the ship’s computer, and it would have been nice to have seen him do more. The musical cues front master composer Clint Mansell help to propel the film along as its main driving force. “Moon” is an interesting diving-off point, but there’s nothing much to analyze in terms of actual occurrences in the film. It suffers from a severe case of not needing to go anywhere quickly – because after all, in space, what’s the rush?
C+
This flick looks interesting, but I'll probably never get around to seeing it. By the way, have you seen the new Sam Raimi horror movie "Drag Me To Hell"? If you have, will you be posting a review? It was a pretty good film.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interest, G1000. Unfortunately, I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to horror films and "Drag Me To Hell" looks pretty damn scary. Even if I could muster up the courage to see it, I have a number of films that I'd put before it, like "The Hurt Locker," and "Departures," both of which should be coming to my neck of the weeds this weekend and I'll hopefully see within a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a "must see", to tell you the truth, but as American horror flicks go, it was not bad. And "The Hurt Locker" looks remarkable. "Departures"? I hear it's good, but from what I can tell, it should never have beat out "The Class" and "Waltz With Bashir" for best foreign film. I need to see both of those as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you gave "Moon" enough credit, Abe. The film was low-budget and low on special effects but created a completely believable world within that moon base. The exchanges between new Sam and old Sam were riveting. The story was leaning towards super-avant-garde-"Solaris"-style allegory and ambiguity, but I was impressed that it was actually a carefully crafted sci-fi mystery with not a single wasted shot. The bigger message might have been a little vague, but I was hooked the entire time, hoping for a Satisfying Explanation to this intriguing mystery and ultimately getting one. I think this was my favorite new films that I've seen this year, and I like a small, quiet film that achieves exactly what it strives for and has such a distinct tone.
ReplyDeleteSee you around the department.
-Dain Goding