Moon

(2009)
I saw a trailer for this film before the disappointment that was Vexille, mainly because the programmers of the DVD refused to let you skip or even fast-forward past any previews (I hate that). It looked interesting, and after Clash of the Titans I was looking for something with a little intelligence, so I gave this movie a try. Moon follows the travails of one Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), the lone inhabitant of a moon base where the mineral He3 is harvested for energy purposes. Hes two weeks shy of the end of his three-year stint, and hes getting ready to go home to his wife and baby daughter. However, the isolation is beginning to affect him, and hes starting to see things mostly other people. He is trapped alone on the base, his only companion a talking computer console named Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey, but sounding a lot like HAL 9000); Gerty is aware that something is wrong with Sam, as are we, but like the computer, were just not sure what. I dont want to give away too much, because Moon rests on its plot twists as well as its performances well, performance, really. Rockwell is the only actor in the entire film (save for a few videos of his wife and child and corporate superiors), and obviously must carry the entire load himself. He does so magnificently; you never feel bored or claustrophobic watching a single actor wander around a small enclosed space. You should, maybe, but to the movies credit, you never do. I think it helped to have stellar production design; its as if someone studied 2001 and decided to borrow liberally from the realistic design of that film, but unlike Kubrick remembered that something compelling and interesting has to happen on the stark white sets. The moonbase is in a way another character, its ivory sterility only reinforcing the isolation that weighs on Sam. I was pleased and surprised by the smart plotting and the effective acting Moon is a smart film that makes us think but also pulls us right in. Sometimes, like Sam, were wondering just what the hell is going on, but once we figure it out, the movie opens up in whole new ways. This film is an excellent example of how to make a movie with a low budget use good ideas and good actors. Moon is a thoughtful, unusual piece of work, and it will stay with you long after the credits roll. April 23, 2010