Good science fiction does not grow on trees

Rating: 7/10 (20 September 2009)

Good, serious science fiction is not really something we are fed up with. Looking back at the history of American sci-fi cinema we see a pretty meager landscape. Over the years there have been one or two signs of life. But no organism big enough to have a body, the genre is very much still an embryo. It's like the ape in Kubrick's 2001 threw the bone in the air, but nobody was there to pick it up. Therefore, this feature debut from British writer-director Duncan Jones is a movie pretty alone in it's kind, which would seem fitting given it's plot involving one man alone on the moon. Sure, we can find some hints and homages here and there. Suffice to say, if you were at all fascinated by Solaris, Alien, 2001 or Blade Runner, you will enjoy this movie. But that's also as far as it goes. One could say, if you enjoyed those movies then hurry up to catch this one because they don't come along very often. As far as movies go, quantum wise, it's lonely in space.
Any admirer of this genre will approve the setup of the movie. In some close or parallel, would-be future, we energize the planet with solar energy, taken and generated from the sun to Earth, from generators located on the moon. There is one job vacancy for an administrator up there. Thus, within the large facilities we meet Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) who has been up there for three years and now has but two weeks left of his contract. He is beyond homesick, talking to himself and several plants and gazing at loved ones through video messages through cold machines. His loneliness has even driven his health to a shaky state. What was that? Am I alone in here? Probably just imagining things. Right, exactly. His only company is that of Gerty, a friendly computer moving by the ceiling, expressing his mood in smileys and carries the voice of Kevin Spacey. Gerty seems to be a very sweet and innocent baby brother of HAL 9000s but geez, everybody knows you can't trust any kind of artificial intelligence in space. The movie, exceptionally well paced from start to finish, gives you the morning (and evening) routines of Sam's and then we start the plot mechanisms when Sam has a little accident, is knocked unconscious and wakes up at the medical ward. "How long have I been gone?" he asks Gerty's happy smiley. "Oh, not very long" is the reply. But it looks like Sam has got some initial problems moving his legs and if you've seen Kill Bill you know enough to get suspicious. The story that follows is pretty much impossible not to follow with interest and excitement.
This is a movie you can't really make much of a review of, since so much of what happens in it is for the viewer alone to find out about. But there are certain things worth mentioning. Much of the content in Moon are things that have been the subject of many science fiction movies, even campier ones, and I guess if anything holds it away from being truly great and "merely" enjoyable it's that it moves within it's own comfort zone, not breaking any significant new grounds, specially in contrast to the perplexing heights at which real sci-fi masterpieces have gone. Perhaps this is a beginner's trade. In any case, it's a highly notable first feature. What probably struck me as the very most impressing thing in the movie though, was Sam Rockwell's one man show (or, "one" man show if you will... or maybe one "man" show.. nevermind, you'll get it later). It's been clear to me since a while back that he is a quality actor - variating his roles to that of alcoholic looser/hair-trigger in Snow Angels to Zaphod Beeblebrox in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - but this time he really holds up much of the entire movie on his shoulders. Without spoiling anything, I can say he gets to use body language, psychological presence and provide action from his character facing intense and unimaginable emotional situations. I hope he feels proud of his work in it, because it certainly comes off as hard work.
It's difficult not to recommend a movie like Moon. It is rare we see movies of it's kind, and for any fan of the genre it's definitely worthwhile. It's a well made, adequately thought provoking, proper science-fiction movie, it's only actual flaw being that it's not better than Solaris.