My favorite film of the year.

Rating: 10/10 (8 August 2009)

Anybody that knows me knows that I'm a sucker for a Sci-Fi story. Just two years ago I was bowled over by Danny Boyle's shimmering spectacle "Sunshine" which provided human drama And Made for one intense thrill ride. Two years one and Duncan Jones releases "Moon" a low budget, human drama that just happens to be set out in space starring Sam Rockwell, who happens to be one of my favourite actors working today. All of these ingredients should mix perfectly to create a film that's highly emotive, beautifully acted and a sight to behold but is this moon landing a giant leap, or just a small step.
An astronaut miner extracting the precious moon gas that promises to reverse the Earth's energy crisis nears the end of his three-year contract, and makes an ominous discovery in this psychological sci-fi film starring Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey. For three long years, Sam Bell has dutifully harvested Helium 3 for Lunar, a company that claims it holds the key to solving humankind's energy crisis. As Sam's contract comes to an end, the lonely astronaut looks forward to returning to his wife and daughter down on Earth, where he will retire early and attempt to make up for lost time. His work on the Selene moon base has been enlightening -- the solitude helping him to reflect on the past and overcome some serious anger issues -- but the isolation is starting to make Sam uneasy. With only two weeks to go before he begins his journey back to Earth, Sam starts feeling strange: he's having inexplicable visions, and hearing impossible sounds. I could go into more depth about the plot of this film but, honestly the less about this film you know the better.
Photobucket Firstly the film looks sublime. Much like Danny Boyles "Sunshine" this low budget spectacle uses effects to enhance the story rather than distract from it. Mix that with some harrowing shots of the environment and you've got a film that both looks fantastic and, thanks to Clint Mansell's superb score, sounds great too. Sam Rockwell is a versatile actor, his range is absolutely phenomenal. One moment he is relaxed and friendly the next he's ready to slit your eye open with a pocket knife...but let's not spoilt that for you. Simply put. This is a Oscar calibre performance My only major grip with the film was with Kevin Spacey as GERTY who, does a good job, but often distracts you from the realism that the film strides for. All of these elements work just great, mixing together to display some fantastic presentation. It's the story and the direction that leads me to believe that this is the greatest film of 2009.
The story is told at a steady pace. The film never ruses and the pacing feel organic, but its this slow pacing that made me feel distinctly uncomfortable while watching this film. The filmmakers never shy away from showing you a deserted hallway (cribbing heavily from "Alien)and calling it disturbing is a severer understatement. So much so that once the film decided to give us answers you're so involved that seem personal to you. The film never shies away from pulling on your heartstrings either; a phone call to earth makes for one of the most emotional moments of the year. You might not think that "Moon" is the greatest film of the year, the things I've described may not appeal to you. However, don't dismay this film. Even if it doesn't sound like it for you please go see it. If just to make your opinion on it.
Verdict: Moon is a stunner on many levels. The direction is methodical and precise mixed seamlessly with the tour de force performance from Sam Rockwell. An eerie, disturbing and moving film, but not without occasional bursts of humour, Moon is a refreshing antidote to the dumb action-orientated futuristic fodder has dominated cinemas in recent years. For these reasons alone "Moon" takes it's place as one of my favourite films of all time and my favourite film of 2009. 5/5