Review: Moon

As most of you die-hard fans will know, I wasn't a huge fan of JJ Abram's latest try at directing in Star Trek. It was good and everything, but the pretentious film-lover in me has been very vocal this summer, prompting me to dust off some of the films that may be considered very limited in their nourishment of the intellect. Star Trek was 80% bang and 20% other stuff. I guess sci-fi just lends itself to that kind of thing. I mean, space adventures are pretty unbelievable to begin with so it's pretty easy to lure an audience with any kind of plot you can care to think up. Star Trek, Transformers, these are the films to which Moon provided a timely antidote. A brainteasing, minimalist and character-driven space story with more depth and intrigue than any overlong robot/alien "epic".

Moon opens, unsurprisingly, on the Moon. In the not-too-distant future Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) sits alone on the far side of Earth's iconic satellite in a station, collecting energy and sending it to earth via little rocket things. He's been there for nearly 3 years and in 2 weeks, he goes home to his wife and baby daughter. All seems to be going well with Sam, although even at the beginning there's an underlying feeling of menace and foreboding as we witness him talking to himself and advising his bosses through a recorded message that 3 years is far too long for any man to remain in solitude. He's not COMPLETELY alone, though. He is assisted in everyday routines by Gerty (Kevin Spacey). Gerty is an intelligent but low-tech (by normal sci-fi standards) robot that moves about the station and talks to Sam, keeping him company. It's a relationship that builds throughout the film rather than deteriorate, a route so many man-and-machine stories go down eventually. Anyway, yes, everything seems to be going relatively well with Sam until certain events begin to occur. Nothing major, just a small indication that maybe he has been up on the Moon for too long. The event occurs again while he's performing a routine check in a buggy, causing him to crash, which is when things really get interesting.

Sam awakes in the base's infirmary. This here is a mystery in itself. In an uninhabited environment apart from himself, how did he get back to the base? Gerty is on hand to comfort Sam after his crash (remember his words in this part) and the routine begins again. That is, until Sam begins to get ever-so-slightly suspicious and decides to go back to the crash site. There, the film takes the most important twist in its modest 100-minute running time as Sam discovers Sam, still unconscious in the crashed Buggy.

To continue with any kind of synopsis would be cruel and detrimental to the impact the film has. What ensues is a thought-provoking, emotion-evoking and above all EXCITING drama about the human condition and morality. The best thing about Moon is arguably Rockwell himself, who channels both the main characters as very different personalities, despite the fact they are the same person. The interaction between the two of them is not only a testament to Rockwell's acting ability which really does excel here, but also the special effects that allow them to interact so seamlessly. All the more impressive when you consider Moon's small budget.

As the plot thickens and a small race-against-the-clock element is introduced, one would expect a third act lull in quality and intrigue as most films like this tend to fall for, replacing the heart and soul that originally transfixed us with a lot of running and shooting. Magically, Moon keeps its own pace and the finale unfolds on its own terms, offering not only an extremely satisfying conclusion but an overwhelming sense of reward on the audience's behalf.

In a Summer bloated with money and gloss, it's a relief to find such an elegant and beautiful film in Moon to enjoy. With an consistent, engaging story and some mighty fine acting, I might be inclined to say it's the best film of 2009 so far. Maybe.

*****
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