Fascinating and thrilling, if occasionally slow-moving...

Rating: 8/10 (31 December 2013)

I can only think of two movies which feature one main character for the majority of the film â€“ "Moon" and "Gravity". The surface parallels between them are surprisingly numerous. Both place their solitary character in space, with only the voice of a computer/mission control helping them for the most part, and both are ultimately trying to get back to Earth. From here on, however, the two films are very different. Rather than continue to compare them, I will merely focus on what "Moon", the directorial debut for Duncan Jones, does well.
It would be impossible to talk about the film without spending a large amount of time on Sam Rockwell. Rockwell shows a great amount of depth in his portrayal of Sam Bell, the only man working on a moon base, and it is this performance which keeps the movie interesting throughout its relatively short running time. It's a film with endless twists and turns, constantly keeping you guessing what's going to happen next, and often, what's happening now. This strength is also occasionally the movie's greatest flaw, as there are many moments where confusion rather than interest are produced in the audience.
The film successfully continues and builds on many classic sci-fi tropes, especially with some of the space-ship visuals and the voice of Kevin Spacey as GERTY harking back to 2001 and HAL. Spacey's voice has the perfect quality for a menacing computer, and by using more than just computerised monotone, he constantly has you guessing whether he is friend or foe to Bell. The minimalistic space ship design makes for a great backdrop, as does the exterior lunar landscape, which looks surprisingly good despite the film's low budget. Clint Mansell's score for the film is another great strength, using a combination of minimalism and electronic sounds to echo the film's mystery and its setting.
Ultimately, the film is fascinating and thrilling, if occasionally slow-moving, and a welcome addition to the low-budget sci-fi canon. It shows great talent from Duncan Jones and, having seen the superior "Source Code", it suggests that even better things are yet to come from him.