Moon

Most of the time, when the words “Science Fiction” come to mind, we get images in our heads of slimy aliens, starship battles, Wookies, Vulcans, and Light Sabers. But every once in a while a Sci-Fi film comes along that offers more than escapist fantasy. The type of film that bypasses explosions and special effects and instead engages us intellectually and philosophically, a kind of thinking man’s science fiction movie, if you will. Examples of this sort of movie include “Solaris”, “Primer”, and, of course, “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Now we have “Moon”, the latest of this kind of “Hard Science Fiction.”

Sam Rockwell stars as Sam Bell, the lone crew member of a remote Lunar base mining the moon for energy resources. He’s finishing up a three years contract and expects to be rotating back to Earth in two weeks time. He receives pre-recorded messages from his wife back home (with whom he has a young daughter), and his sole companion is Gerty, the base’s computer who is deliberately reminiscent of HAL from “2001”.

They say that if a man is isolated for too long a period of time, it will take a toll on him mentally. He’ll start to go a little funny in the head. And Sam, who has grown long hair and a scraggly beard, who often talks to himself, and who has started to hallucinate, is just about there. He’s on the verge of a psychological break and he’s clearly ready to go home. He only has to tough it out a little longer, just stick to his routine and count the days. But then he has an accident, suffers a slight knock to the head, and when he comes to, he finds himself face to face with a new guest. And this is where shit gets weird. Is this guest real, or just a figment of his overactive imagination?

That’s as far as I’ll go about to the plot, because saying any more would give too much away. I will say though, that I absolutely love this kind of Sci-Fi film. Don’t get me wrong, I dig me some “Star Wars” and some “Star Trek” as much as the next geek, but this kind of “heady” science fiction is the stuff I really relish. Like “2001” and “Solaris”, “Moon” has an air of mystery to it all, and as the movie progresses, the layers of mystery are peeled back one by one in an original and unpredictable way. The whole way through this flick kept me guessing as to where it was going, and I liked that.

It’s a film that makes you think, not just about what’s on the screen, but about the subtext, about the underlying point of it all, and “Moon” definitely has one. It raises questions about technology and morality… when does science go too far and become immoral? And what makes a human being human? That’s some pretty deep shit for a Summer movie.

Now, I’d like to say a few words about Mr. Sam Rockwell. He’s an actor I honestly never really cared for in the past. I never thought he was a bad actor, per se, just something about him always annoyed me. But, after this film, I have new found respect for the man. He is terrific in this movie. Carrying an entire film like this is no easy feat for any actor, but Rockwell, who for the bulk of the movie is on screen by himself, pulls it off magnificently. Incredible!

The other notable performance in “Moon” comes from Kevin Spacey as the voice of Gerty, the base’s computer/robot thing. He gave the A.I. character an element of humanity, and actually made him very sympathetic. I especially liked how Gerty had a small monitor on him that showed “emoticons” to reflect whatever mood he was in (smiley face, frowny face, etc.). Very nice touch.

Director Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie) makes a very impressive feature film debut. He shows off not only a strong visual eye, but also a sly sense of humor and the ability to create an atmosphere of mystery and tension. He is officially on my list of up-and-coming filmmakers to watch, and I can’t wait to see what he does next. The film is aided in no small way by composer Clint Mansell’s (“Pi”, “Requiem for a Dream”) evocative score, which greatly contributes to the overall mood of the piece.

If there’s anything I can think to bitch about, it would be the pacing of the film, which is deliberately on the slow side. I myself didn’t mind it at all, but some moviegoers may get a little antsy as the movie methodically unfolds.

“Moon” is the kind of thoughtful, intelligent Sci-Fi film that only comes along once in… well.. a blue moon (sorry). It probably won’t appeal to everyone, but for those looking for a break from the usual big budgeted, mindless, popcorn Summer movie should definitely give this sleeper a look.