Moon: A Stone's Throw Away from Classic
Duncan Jones, previously best known as David Bowie’s son, makes his directorial debut with the brainy sci-fi film, Moon. In Moon, Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) stars alone as a blue-collar employee of a huge energy corporation. His job: to stay on the moon for three years, mining for Earth’s primary clean energy source found on the dark side of the moon. The hitch? He’s alone with the exception of one talking robot and the occasional recorded transmission from his wife and toddler.
We meet Sam (played by Sam) as he’s approaching the end of his three-year stint of isolation on the gray rock; he has two weeks to go. Unfortunately, Sam starts getting headaches and having visions until a near-fatal accident occurs in a lunar rover. He awakes in the infirmary with injuries that delay his ability to complete his contract and return to Earth. Once he’s back at work, something happens that leads Sam to discover another person that looks just like him.
I won’t give any more details of the story away. However, everything I just explained occurs during the first twenty minutes of the movie, the rest of which isn’t so much about what Sam initially discovers as much as how it affects him and what else Sam doesn’t know. There are little clues throughout the film that hint at circumstances and events that occur to Sam during the rest of the movie. An observant viewer will catch them and figure out what’s going on, but that won’t spoil the experience of the film. Moon is one of those rare sci-fi films that is less about the reveals and special effects than the ideas and characters. If all this sounds like a snails-paced snore-fest worry not: it is a fascinating and captivating trip thanks to its ideas and performances. You will not be bored.
Speaking of its performances, there are few. In fact, with the exception of Kevin Spacey’s voice work as the facility’s robotic keeper and Sam’s only companion, Gerdy, Sam Rockwell is the only performance(s) we are really given. His is crucial to the success of this film since the story relies on him to avoid becoming campy or silly. Rockwell knocks it out of the park, giving a solid performance that sells the movie. There isn’t a single false note, adding credibility to the story and deserving much more accolades than he’s been given.
As this is a sci-fi space film, the special effects are worth mentioning. They look great for a budget of five million dollars. The vehicles and ships look just as good – if not better – than anything in Terminator Salvation or Wolverine, demonstrating how much can be done with very little. While the story may take place on the moon, the effects take such a backseat to the story that it renders the location irrelevant; this could take place in any desolate location. And most sci-fi pictures unfortunately forget that is what makes a great sci-fi story: story and characters first, sci-fi effects last.
Moon also handles its themes rather well – something else that many movies of any genre fail at. It questions in an understated, non-bludgeoning way what makes us who we are. Are our personalities no more than the sum of our memories? The film also seems to say that even the most benevolent of corporations have an unsavory side, which isn’t necessarily new territory.
But that brings us to an important point about Moon as a whole: it isn’t flawlessly outstanding, but it is really good. The concepts in Moon aren’t mind-blowingly original and the film is imperfect in its science and music queues. What could’ve been a perfectly solid instant-classic by a veteran is instead a strong debut that is intelligent and stands apart from the usual Rock ‘em Sock ‘em mediocrity.
Duncan Jones, working with a limited budget, has brought us a film that may be slightly flawed, but is definitely among the best sci-fi the last decade had to offer. Thanks to a steady pace, smart writing, and solid performances by Sam Rockwell, Moon enters the pantheon of thought-provoking science fiction like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, and Gattaca.
7/10
Should you see it? Rent
Moon is available on Blu-Ray and DVD now.