Plot On the final stretch of a three-year contract mining energy from the moon for an ailing Earth, isolated astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) wakes up in his lunar base after a freak accident — and suddenly discovers that he’s not alone...
Review While J. J. Abrams’ Red Bull reboot of Star Trek has triumphantly pulled the Zimmer frame from a rusting franchise, the relaunch is pretty indicative of modern mainstream sci-fi — epic on the dazzle, easy on the brain cells. Given its pondersome heritage, Trek’s facelift as an action series is an invigorating way to go, but it does firm up the argument that the genre of Big Ideas is, nowadays, more about Huge Explosions.
Which is odd because, during the ’70s and early ’80s, American cinema was besotted with sci-fi, not as a rollercoaster ride, but as a vessel for exploring man’s place in the cosmic ink. Duncan Jones’ mesmerising debut is an affectionate throwback to the Blade Runners, Outlands and Dark Stars of the genre, not just in terms of the way it looks, but the way it feels and thinks. From the very moment we land on Moon, the future is sci-fi’s past. The year is 2024 but really, what with the chunky lunar bases, clinical interiors and spooky, mothering computer, its Casio watch is still firmly stuck on 2001. Endearingly lo-fi Tonka Toy lunar buggies bonk over the moon’s surface like it’s space circa 1999. The stranded space-hippy vibe screams Silent Running... And yet, just when you think you’ve seen it all before, Moon fuses a jumble of familiar elements and magics up something original.
The opening act follows all the beats of a castaway movie as we’re eased into the moon boots of Sam Bell, plodding solo around his lunar base, sharing tediously functional conversations with a Kevin Spacey-voiced computer, watching video messages from the wife and generally aching to get the hell out of there. Sedate camerawork and Clint Mansell’s spectral piano score compound the sense of unearthly isolation, but what makes it all so captivating are the lived-in details that ground his solitary confinement — the furry dice in the moon rover, the crumpled Post-it notes, the vac-packed baked beans he slobbily sucks straight out of the bag...
There’s also, however, a softly humming ominous ambience that’s always threatening a lurch into space oddity and when it hits, with the baffling arrival of Bell’s surly doppelgänger, the film warps genres — from character study to twisty-turny existential mystery, and it’s just too smart to spoil. Less a whodunnit, more a whothehellami, while the ingenious script keeps you guessing, a terrific turn from Sam Rockwell keeps you caring. It’s a deeply engaging one-man show and, crucially, puts a human face on some seriously hefty themes (memory, alienation, identity). When he finally cries, “I just want to go home,” hearts will break.
Shot in 33 days and working miracles with a $5 million budget, it’s a Sundance movie in outer space and a relief it escaped the studio black hole. Moon asks proper big, stimulating questions about what it means to be human, without being cold, aloof, poncy or even remotely boring. It also looks, in its own wonderfully Airfixy way, fantastic. If you like brainfood served with your eye candy, take the trip.
Verdict They do make ’em like they used to — a fresh blast of old-school sci-fi, bursting with ideas and a stellar turn from Rockwell.
i've posted about this fim in other threads, thought i should come share my views with the folk in the proper designated thread
no before i start i'd just like to say, directing is brilliant, Rockwell is amazing (as he always is) an overall, i enjoyed the film, yet there were a few flaws that bought it down for me
the realization of 'Clean Sam' seemed as tho they were reveling a twist in the movie, even tho his situation was obvious, it seems hi would have known his plight as soon as ... Read More
I have to agree with the previous post, Moon is a good adult Sci-Fi movie, but I am not sure it deserves comparison with the classics like 2001 or Alien. There are some obvious nods towards 2001, but overall I found the build up to the major plot revelation far more interesting than the pay off.
That being said the movie is well worth a look and Sam Rockwell is excellent as usual. ... Read More
I didn't really get all the hype for this one to be honest.
While it's fantastic to see PROPER Sci-FI out there again, and from a British director too who obviously cares about the genre, it just didn't quite do enough for me,
There's nothing I didn't like about it particularly, and the central performance was good. I think I didn't quite believe the story, that at some point in the future the kind of horrendous corporate torture of workers would be possible in this sense. It's a c... Read More
One of the most hauntingly beautiful and mesmerizing films of the decade. Really, they don't make sci-fi movies like this. Rockwell deserves a standing ovation. ... Read More
In his directorial debut, Duncan Jones shows us what years of loneliness can do with a man.
For 3 years now, Sam is all alone in a lunar base on the moon to make sure that a project runs as it should. The project has to make sure that energy is gathered from the lunar surface so that it can be used on earth. But after 3 years, with only 2 weeks to go, the loneliness is really starting to get to him.
The great thing about Moon is that Jones is totally dependable on the acting performance of jus... Read More
Actually watched this on Sky movies over Xmas and have to say really enjoyed it. There has been a worrying trend in recent years for SF that is big on action and not much else. Be it on TV or in the cinema more thoughtful SF has been badly treated in my opinion. As a movie release Moon did not even make it to my local cinema which is sad, because this is an excellent movie. The story is interesting and disturbing and the look of the movie is as the Empire reviewer says that 1970's or 1980's ... Read More
Classic
Excellent
Good
Fair
Tragic
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