Review of Moon (2009) by Jeff L — 21 Nov 2012

Duncan Jones's sci-fi thriller is reminiscent of an Isaac Asimov short story from the classic "I- Robot" (which is very much unlike the adventurous gun toting Robot killing Will Smith version for those of us who have yet to read the short stories).

In Moon, Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell, is living on the moon, working a complex for a new energy company that has found a way to convert moon minerals to a steady energy source. Sam has worked the station for nearly three years, at the end of which his contract will terminate and he will be able to go home to join his wife and baby girl. Also, aside from the station's robot, Gertie (voiced by Kevin Spacey), Sam has not had any direct communication with earth, and has been forced to rely solely on sending and receiving videos for interaction with mankind. Only a few weeks before Sam's planned return, he wreck's his lunar rover, and wakes up in the hospital wing of the station. Driven by strange events around the station, Sam decides to go out and re-explore his destroyed lunar rover. His exploration leads to a shocking discovery and self denial.

Duncan combines a brilliant blend of suspense, humor, grief and moral questioning in Moon. While at times the plot seems a bit slow, and gives off some of its big twists earlier in the story, it conveys far more intense emotion and philosophy than most the typical sci-fi or regular mysteries produced today. I especially appreciated that the twist was not the movie's point, but a means to draw your interest to the real story at hand, which was Sam's own suffering, the effects of loneliness, and the need to question our own reality.

Sam Rockwell's performance was absolutely outstanding. My friends and I all cried foul when the Academy did not nominate him for the picture. He is essentially the only actor in the movie (all others are shown for a maximum of 5 minutes throughout the movie). I laughed and wept at Sam's antics and struggles. This role has surely cemented Rockwell's place among Hollywood's greatest.

All in all, I thought this was a beautiful, thought provoking and emotional piece filled with an interesting plot, but more importantly, fabulous acting, and outrageous amounts of heart and true emotion.