Moon (2009)

MOON
DIRECTED BY: DUNCAN JONES
WRITTEN BY: NATHAN PARKER & DUNCAN JONES
OVERALL SCORE: 8.75/10

Nearing the end of his 3-year contract with Lunar, a solar energy company, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) has been alone on the Moon for 3 years now, only accompanied by the station's robot, GERTY (Kevin Spacey - voice).

When the credits rolled on Moon at my small local artsy theater (one I tend to avoid) a guy yelled out "now that is a sci-fi movie," silently, I absolutely agreed. I will say this right now, do not under any circumstance read any synopsis for the film, do not watch any commercial for it, just go watch it. The reason my synopsis is so small because so much of the films plot comes out over slow periods of time you'd practically have to give the whole movie to explain it briefly. Moon is slow, yes, but methodical, beautiful, intelligent, thrilling, and filled with moments that captivate any viewer who wants to be challenged. There's no insane battle sequences, massive explosions, or sacrifices in plot in favor of action... Moon does what it comes to do and does it very well.

What makes Moon work, is that it isn't a movie that tries to be something more than it is. It's political on some level, but it doesn't waste time going on with heavy handed messages. Instead it's more of a character piece, backed by an amazing performance from Sam Rockwell, that brings all the twists and turns you'd want in a sci-fi film. As a visual film, Moon will heavily appeal to those who enjoy films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, with slow pan shots, the mysterious robot, the silent moments, and a pace that could never be accurately described, except to say it just rolls along. Moon isn't going to spell everything out for you, it tells you what you need to know and moves on, anyone who can't figure it out just wasn't paying attention. So why is it slow? Well Moon is a movie that wants you to see the effect of events on Bell, how he handles them, emotionally and mentally, and as such it's very heavy on reaction not action.

Despite the slow nature I was never bored during Moon. I was captivated, eagerly anticipating the next move almost like a school kid waiting for the final bell. Rockwell is simply perfect in a role I can't explain without spoiling. He gives so much emotion and quite literally has to carry the film from start to end. Especially during some very harsh character moments brings every emotion into play. Rockwell gets support from Jones, who knows what he is doing and makes the most of each scene transition, carefully taking his time with each moment. Where the film falters is in its final 1-2minutes, I fear. It tries to get a little political, and adds a bit too much to an ending which was already perfect. Overall though I found little fault with the movie, and would happily watch and purchase the film come DVD time.

Slow, captivating, and beautiful, Jones and Rockwell's Moon is one of the best films I've seen so far in 2009.