Fly me to the ‘Moon’

By John Soltes

Moon is a small film with big ambitions. Its an admirable acting piece for the great character actor, Sam Rockwell. And Duncan Jones’ directing (based on his story and a screenplay by Nathan Parker) makes for an eerie cinematic outing.

Rockwell plays Sam Bell, an astronaut who has been living in space for three years, working for Lunar Industries. We first meet him as he’s getting ready to bid adieu to the great beyond and head home to his family and friends. His only space colleague is a robot named Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey). The two pass the time by harvesting and bottling helium on the moon. They send the fruits of their labor back to Earth, where the gas is used for fuel.

With thoughts of his wife and daughter in his head, Sam begins to feel the difficulty of his assignment. The three years have not been easy, and he is lonesome beyond the normal limits.

To continue on with the plot would spoil much of the fun in Moon. Suffice it to say, Sam becomes a little paranoid.

The movie is in the same vein as Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey. It moves slowly, and the only dialogue is when Gerty and Sam talk back and forth about their day-to-day duties. For some viewers, the lack of special effects and a fast-moving plot may be a turnoff.

For true science-fiction lovers, the change of pace will be welcoming. Moon is about humanity and its inability to deal properly with solitude. These concepts don’t lend themselves to a Michael Bay intergalactic feast for the eyes. But they will make you think, and they will make you feel sorry for Sam and his plight.

Rockwell is top-notch and carries the movie from beginning to end. It’s a tough part, not too dissimilar from Tom Hanks’ turn in Castaway. If we don’t come to enjoy Sam’s presence, then the movie is an instant dud. Rockwell makes us care, and that’s why Moon works wonders.

Moon

2009

Directed by Duncan Jones

Written by Nathan Parker, based on a story by Jones

Starring Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey

Running time: 97 minutes

Rated R for language.

Bubble score: 3 out of 4

Click here to purchase Moon on DVD.