Hardly dull watching Sam and Sam again - Sam Rockwell rocks in Duncan Jones' intriguing debut film "Moon" masterfully done

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2009)

Sam Rockwell assuredly delivered all the variations and range of an astronaut Sam Bell in director Duncan Jones' debut film "Moon". Yes, it is a space sci-fi based on a story by Jones. The storyline seems to deal with some sort of version control. Could it be a renewed (or rewind) version of the same previous rendition that gets repeated (as programmed)?
There is Gerty (calmly voiced by Kevin Spacey). It is much more friendlier than "HAL" of "2001: A Space Odyssey". Gerty the computer-brain is quite clear in what he is supposed to do as instructed. He is to help Sam. He is to do what Sam asks him to do. Come to think of it, Gerty probably needs a friend (someone to talk to, play chess with) since he and Sam are the only two working 'units' at the space station (a rather conveniently clever 'techno-arrangement'?)
Rockwell is ever so interesting since I first saw him playing opposite John Turturro in Tom DiCillo's "Box of Moon Light" (1996). Sam Bell is rather lonely being the sole space worker human on the spaceship three years hence. It's getting into a mindless rut of routines, with occasional delight in reminiscing of family members from home on earth and viewing their video messages. Is ground control becoming callous and neglectful of him?
Is Sam truly human in the flesh? It sure seems that way on screen, whether he's inside the ship or outside exploring the moonscape. God forbid he's an android in plurality. No programmed robots are expected to have feelings, let alone 'think' for himself. A computer unit like Gerty may momentarily display a certain degree of 'fondness' - though Gerty masks it by saying he's only doing his job in taking care of and carrying out Sam's requests and needs. Perhaps some scientific 'techno-breakthrough' in cost-saving solutions in optimizing cloning? Not dull at all.
"Moon" is absorbing and definitely thought-provoking sci-fi. You may say it is a bold follow up to Stanley Kubrick's sublime "2001: A Space Odyssey" which was very much ahead of its time in 1968 and still rings true today. So Duncan Jones' 1995 bachelor of philosophy's independent study thesis titled, "How to Kill Your Computer Friend: An Investigation of the Mind/Body Problem and How It Relates to the Hypothetical Creation of a Thinking Machine" - how coincidental that "Moon" contains elements and queries suggestive from the title! There's possible influence from Jones' father, David Bowie, with his famous 'Space Oddity' song lyrics of "Ground control to Major Tom". The film does remind me of Douglas Trumbull's "Silent Running" (1972) where Bruce Dern is also playing solo in space. I recall also British author Dennis Potter's extraordinary TV series, "Cold Lazarus" (1996) when the realms of the mind & memories are exploited and 'frozen in time'.
You will enjoy "Moon", sci-fi fan or not. It has made me appreciate and respect Kubrick's '2001' masterpiece much more on repeat viewing, and I continue to ponder on the story of Sam in "Moon" - wishing for more enlightening, intriguing sci-fi fare from Jones to come. (And it seems a possibility, so 'wikipedia' noted.)