January 17, 2010
Review - " Moon " - (on DVD) By Roland Hansen
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Rockwell is Sam Bell, a man assigned to mining energy deposits on the moon… other than a computer, he is alone and as
he nears the end of his 3 years of service … he starts to lose it… but tries to hold on to his sanity.
Rockwell is brilliant as a man determined to finish his job all by himself – without going crazy or being killed on his dangerous,
but monotonous job – so he can return to earth and see his wife and daughter again. The movie even puts the audience in
the position of Sam so you learn Sam’s problems as he goes through them.
Rockwell easily conveys the emotions of what most
of us would do if put in these positions – first all out
determination to perservere, then doubt that he’ll
actually be able to make it through the job.
This movie is best enjoyed when you don’t know
anymore than this… other reviews and even online
descriptions give away one of the twists… but there
are several so don’t worry if you already heard more
than I’ve told you here. If you haven’t – don’t read
any other descriptions – not even the DVD box –
you’ll want to enjoy this for the terrific storyline that
lies ahead.
Kevin Spacey is the only other actor with any
significant lines in the movie – but its just his voice
as the space station’s computer – and that helps the
audience stay focused on Sam’s solo story and discussions with himself.
Rockwell is great in this role - giving it credibility and depth - too bad he will be forgotten come award season. And it's even
more of a shame that Moon recieved such a limited release with no adertising. This could have been big. I really wish I had
the opportunity to have seen it earlier so it could have qualified for the Delta Choice awards - Rockwell and this movie would
have fared very well. The film is a breath of fresh air. A thinking man’s SF movie. Rockwell, a layered, always surprising actor
delivers an off-balance, painfully honest performance.
The emphasis is always on character and Sam’s philosophical quandary, and it pays off. There are a few films where the
protagonist’s entire world unravels from underneath them: Charlton Heston in the shadow of Lady Liberty, beating his fists on
the beach; or Truman Burbank beating his fists against the painted backdrop of his reality . Sam Bell’s revelation in Moon is
more of a slow burn, but it is excellently done, and provides a compelling version of the future that will give you plenty to think
about.



Moon
Directed by: Duncan Jones
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey
If you haven’t enjoyed a movie with Sam Rockwell as a supporting or
minor character before (“Frost/Nixon”, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the
Galaxy”, “Matchstick Men”) this is your chance to see the actor excel -
all by himself.
This is one of the best performances of the year - that won’t receive
an award nomination. This is also one of the best sci-fi movie of the
year!!
This provocative drama derives its strength from the potency of its
ideas and from Sam Rockwell’s riveting performance. There are no
gun fights here, no rocket bike chases across the lunar surface, no
implacable robots, no scantily clad alien sirens, no wormholes, no star
gates, no hive queens, no light sabers.
Moon, directed by Duncan Jones is that rare bit of modern cinema -
an actual hard science fiction movie. Though reportedly shot for a
mere five million, the film looks sharp: cold, forbidding lunar vistas;
well-conceived, industrially scarred heavy equipment; and simple,
realistic living quarters. The atmosphere, silent and desolate, at times
even oppressive, fills not just the screen but your mind.
It is the near future. Earth’s energy problems have been solved by the
discovery of Helium-3, a powerful new fuel source, on the Moon. Lunar
Industries has cornered the market for the substance and operates a
large-scale H3 strip mine on the far side of the Moon.
