Great Sci-Fi Movie

Rating: 10/10 (29 November 2011)

To find a sci-fi movie about ideas is a damned novelty these days. A piece of cinema that is willing to forgo car chases and gun fights for philosophical questioning and human struggles. Moon, directed by Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie) attempted to do this during its limited release in 2011. It is a tour de force that follows the solitary life of a "man on the moon" played by Samuel Rockwell. Because most of the film occurs on an isolated lunar mining base, the pacing and plot is carried entirely on the shoulders of Sam Rockwell's role as the main character.
Sam Rockwell's character is Sam Bell, a contractor who is operating the space station for a 3 year stint, along with his HAL9000 inspired robot named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey). We are allowed to indulge in Sam's longing for the family he left on earth and observe his decent into insanity; delusion, paranoia, and Sam's loss of his sense of self after the story's big reveal. As his situation becomes increasingly more miserable and his mental stability wanes Sam suffers from visual and auditory hallucinations. The viewer is forced to question his judgment for the rest of the movie and his eternally cynical attitude contributes all the more to this effect. Sam Rockwell may not have been the most obvious person to take on the role, but he rises to the difficulty of the situation and blends his personality to fit it. Rockwell seems to have a chameleon-like ability to fully embrace a character, and this is his best performance so far. Although he is no Daniel Day Lewis or Christian Bale, Sam Rockwell's brilliant acting is by far the best part of the film.
The hidden gem of Moon is Kevin Spacey's portrayal of GERTY, Sam's companion on the base. GERTY is the only other character to get significant time on-screen and although its full range of emotion is linked to a smiley face on an LCD display, it offers important comic relief during the tensest parts of the movie. Luckily Duncan Jones avoids the "evil robot" plot trap and allows Kevin Spacey's charm to shine through the character. Moon is a brilliant first attempt by Mr. Jones and received many accolades reflecting this. It offers a fresh combination of "soft" science fiction and a unique directorial vision but the solid acting is the glue that really brings the film together.