Review: Moon (2009)

Director: Duncan Jones

Cast: Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon, The Green Mile), Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, K-PAX), Dominique McElligott, Kaya Scodelario, Robin Chalk

The Deal: Sam Bell (Rockwell) is two weeks away from completing his three-year contract with Lunar Industries, in which he mines Helium-3, Earth's main energy source. His only company on the moon is Gerty (Spacey), a robot that assists Sam and maintains the facility, and the communications satellite is broken, preventing any live contact with Earth. Plagued by strange visions and deteriorating health, Sam discovers Lunar's actual plans for replacing him.

Thoughts: Being Duncan Jones' first major motion picture, this is quite impressive. Science fiction seems to a be a tricky genre to balance strong story with imaginative and beautiful visuals, but Jones provides possibly the best film in the genre of the last 10 years. The story is very compelling and in some ways is a throwback to classic sci-fi films, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey. Despite a budget of only $5 million, the visuals are quite impressive and beautiful. The visuals are both retro and modern, beautifully complimenting the mood of the film. It's a very hard science fiction with a focus on what it means to be human.

Given that Sam Rockwell makes up 80% of the film, this would not be able to succeed without a stellar performance. He handles the two roles effortlessly, and displays the emotions very well. It's the type of performance that could finally cement him as a go-to actor in Hollywood. Kevin Spacey voices the robot quite well, and is surprisingly aided by the emoticons the robot uses. I'm not going to argue he should be held to the same lofty standard as HAL from 2001, but he's probably the best and most engaging computer since.

Probably the only consistent compliant I've read in reviews is that the film's twist comes too early. These critics are mistaken. The reveal is the biggest catalyst for the most powerful part of the film. It drives the character development and forces to viewer to reflect on what means humans human. This is a central idea of science fiction, and the film does a far more in-depth, thorough, and successful job than most films of the genre.

Verdict: One of the best science fiction films in recent memory. It explores human nature and is supported by a phenomenal performance by Rockwell. It's entertaining, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. ☆☆☆☆