Monthly Review : MOON (2009)

WHAT kind of a person takes a job situated in the middle of nowhere where he can barely see anyone? What kind of a person chooses to be so cut off from civilised company, distant from all he loves and all whom he cares for? Who would choose to go somewhere so far from validation, emotional satisfaction and the reassurance of your image reflected in the eyes of another?






Plot Overview :

With only two weeks left in his three year contract, astronaut Sam Bell is getting anxious to finally return to Earth. He is the only occupant of a Moon-based manufacturing facility along with his on-deck robotic computer, called GERTY. Direct communication with Earth is not possible due to a long-standing communication malfunction but he does get an occasional message from his wife . One day, while Sam is in his lunar rover he crashes. He wakes up a little disoriented, but basically fine--until a few days later, when he finds another man who appears to be... well, himself.

Review :

Taking inspiration from sci-fi classics like "2001:a space odyssey," & "Solyaris," comes "Moon," a killer science fiction that deftly toys with futuristic worry to construct a terrifically understated nightmare.What's most refreshing about the movie is that you're really only watching one man for an hour and a half, Inevitable parallels will be drawn to 2001:A space odyssey, with a monotone computer, but Moon manages to distance itself very successfully by having a computer which doesn't go crazy . When the 'twist' occurs about half way through, you really feel sucked in, imagining what it would be like to be in that position, and you remain there for the rest of the film. This film succeeds not through fancy special effects, but through the empathy you feel, and that is the mark of truly wonderful picture.

One of the emotional surprises in the film does come from Sam's interaction with Gerty the robot, his only companion. Gerty is the best on screen portrayal of a robot "friend" to date. He takes great care of Sam, not because he feels for Sam, but because that is logically the best thing for him to do, and yet he does his job well. He is neither sinister or abnormally compliant, his smiley "face" lending the film an at times eerie and other times emotive component that feels more realistic and effective then his counterparts like HAL .

Nathan Parker's screenplay is nothing mind blowing but if you're in the mood for a good psychological drama, this one more than fits the bill. It's slow moving but your head will be working a mile a minute trying to figure out the secrets that lay in store here. Which one of the Sams is the real Sam? Has all this isolation finally affected Sam's psyche ? Could the company that Sam works for be playing with him, putting him into some kind of experimental test or something?Debutant director Duncan Jones proves to be an expert in paranoia, creating a claustrophobic and weirdly surreal situation. It gets so crazy at one point that the two Sam's even start a fight with one another. The production design is really good too, the lunar rovers and the space shuttle, with its dirty white walls that somehow add to the suspense in their own way, are like throwbacks to old movies such as Alien .The atmosphere is also aided by the terrific score of cult composer Clint Mansell .

Any actor who has to work with the entire galaxy as his backdrop is going to find it quite a challenge to make himself stand out, but Sam Rockwell is more than the performer for the job. Moon is almost quite literally his show. None of the other actors in the credits even get five minutes of screen time , so it's 90 minutes of Sam. The actor isn't just in every scene, he's in every scene with no one else in front of him. It's action without interaction, but Rockwell has enough personality quirks to keep the movie from ever getting boring.Even though we only hear the voice from Kevin Spacey, he also made a very solid job by finding the perfect grade of personality and indifference, the robot GERTY needs to express the "feelings" trapped between conflictive directives which test its conscience.


Parting thoughts:

Moon combines intellectual challenges with an excellent narrative to bring a reflection on human condition.This film is a real masterpiece, and it is the best Sci-Fi I have seen this year.So, Moon deserves the most enthusiastic of the recommendations, because it is hugely entertaining and it makes you think a bit and teach something at the same time, and these days ,that is indeed priceless!We need more movies like this one.


Title :MOON

Dir :Duncan Jones

Cast :Sam Rockwell , Kevin Spacey

Rated R for Language

Country :UK

Language :English


DVD Features :Feature length audio commentary with Director & Producer
Cast Interview
On Location
Visual FX featurette
Q&A's with the director at Sundance Festival

Torrent File Name :Moon.2009.R5.XviD.LAP

Trailer Link :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQTJUfqNJts