Amazon Holiday

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Moon

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?


A: Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is weeks away from finishing a three-year stint working all alone on the moon harvesting new energy to ship back to earth when something goes horribly and mysteriously wrong.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Kaya Scodelario, Matt Berry, Malcolm Stewart, Benedict Wong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. Moon is a sci-fi, thriller and psychological character study all rolled into one – and the mix works really well. Sam Rockwell is practically a one-man show in this, with only a computer named GERTY (voiced by Spacey) as companion. Something is amiss very early on in Moon, and once the mystery starts unfolding it’s impossible not to be riveted and intrigued by an intelligent, thought-provoking pay-off. This movie will not be for everyone, but if you have the patience for an-- at times slow-- film that’ll make you think, Moon is the one to see and then go discuss with your friends for hours on end afterwards.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you still see the humor in emoticons.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is a scene near the end between Sam and his daughter which may indeed start the water works. You’ve been warned.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Even though it’s being released during the summer, Sam Rockwell makes such a searing impression that it will be hard to ignore his performance(s) come awards season at the end of the year. In fact – without any spoilers – Sam Rockwell could conceivably become the first actor in history to be nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for playing the same part in the same film. Wow, I think I just blew my own mind thinking about that. But go see Moon and you’ll understand and agree with me.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sam Rockwell is an amazing talent and has made a career of effortlessly working in both indies and big studio films. He is so good in this film – and in many regards it’s a very understated performance – that I can’t think of a single actor who would have been better. Rockwell has a way of conveying emotion that is uniquely his own and just hits you in the gut because it’s so devastatingly real and heartbreaking.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Up to this point director Duncan Jones was probably most famous for simply being the son of singer David Bowie. But this debut film will push him out from under his famous father’s shadow. For all intents and purposes Moon is an indie film (picked up for distribution by Sony at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival) that looks and feels rich on what was probably a relatively low budget. The special effects are not flashy but the moon locale, machines, space-suits and space-station all feel authentic and real. And Jones displays a sure hand in presenting challenging material in a way that is visual and suspenseful but also respectful to the audience.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is a strong emotional core to Moon, that is embedded in its story, and as the secrets of what’s happening unfold, the logic of it all makes perfect sense. Additionally, within the trappings of an unraveling mystery that is both suspenseful and tense, the story asks fascinating questions about what makes us human – and how much respect does a living breathing person deserve. It’s also worth mentioning that the ending of Moon is so good that you will realize it has perfectly set up a sequel that might be even more compelling. (And I nominate they title the sequel Moon 2: Earth.)

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/moon/36289/video/moon-trailer-no-1/20292755001

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought this movie was one of the worst wastes of an hour and a half of my life that I've ever had to endure. Horrible. :/ Seriously...simple awful.

Anonymous said...

I rented the movie last night and i thought it was realy cool. It kept me interested and captivated the entire time.

Anonymous said...

Just watched it on Blu-ray and really enjoyed it. Well worth watching.