High quality

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2013)

A number of familiar science-fiction tropes - space out-station, lone astronaut, smooth-voiced robot, suspect employer with an apparently green agenda - might lull you into thinking you know where this movie is heading, but the story and the excellent screenplay wriggle around enough to shake you up. What confirms MOON as high-quality entertainment is that it holds up very well even when you know the plot, as I discovered watching it again on DVD last night.
Budgetary considerations probably determined the choice of miniatures for most of the exterior scenes. They seem to me to be the only weak spot of the film. Although they are well executed, their artificiality is in stark contrast to the believable interiors. There's compensation, though, in the form of other photographic effects which are extremely impressive.
The heart of the film is an astonishing, virtuoso turn by Sam Rockwell, who deserved every award going but who had to be content with admiring reviews. If you're unacquainted with the work of this superb actor, then MOON is a great place to start. If you're a fan, you'll have seen it already, but never mind - see it again!