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: Proceed 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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WALL•E

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Right when the last living robot on Earth gets lonely, a female robot lands on his planet, and together they attempt to bring humans back to rebuild it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigournery Weaver... although you really can't recognize most of them.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's got some very current messages about the environment, big corporations, and obesity-- as well as how they're all tied together-- but at times you find yourself thinking too hard to understand what's going on. What I'm saying is that (as tends to happen with Pixar films), it's a little over-rated by the majority of critics that aren't me.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Here and there, but with almost no dialogue for the first two-thirds, this kids' movie often times went right over my head.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Probably not, but it's nice to see that in the year 2700, robots have absolutely no stigma attached to interracial dating.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: There are only two steps in the recipe for getting an Academy Award. 1) Compete in a category with hardly any contenders (Animation), and 2) Be a Pixar film.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Robotic.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As with most Pixar projects, the most wonderful stuff is in the details and the little moments that you feel you couldn't have thought of yourself.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's impressive that they are able to tell so much with so few words, and yet the message is not always well communicated. There's also something unsatisfying about the ending. I mean, it's happy... kind of... But there is no heroic moment that makes you feel like the good guys did something really special in order to win. It just ends happily. And then it's over. And then the credits roll.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: This is the first time I've seen a movie tie in what the video game will be about during the closing credits. They don't announce that that's what they're doing, but if you watch the little 2-D animation that runs alongside the credits, that's what they're doing.

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