lunar rocks to be shipped back to Earth to fuel the energy starved planet.Sam's isolated three year posting is about to come to an end and he longs to return to Earth to see his wife. His only company throughout this sojourn has been that of Gerty, the base's HAL-like robot voiced by Kevin Spacey. Unfortunately, the final weeks and days are proving to be the most difficult, and Sam finds himself going a bit squirrelly, leaving both he and the audience to wonder if what's unfolding is actually happening, or merely a drama taking place in his addled mind.That's about as much plot detail as I'm going to deliver, for to delve any deeper into the story would give too much away. Be prepared, however, for a thought provoking narrative that touches on issues such as scientific ethics, corporate greed, human identity, and compassion.There are no aliens, lasers/phasers, wormholes, warp engines or jump drives here, just a lonely space age concierge, an unflappable monotone robot, and a whole lot of fodder for your brain to chow down on.This is what science fiction was meant to be.

harvested material is then sent back to Earth to use as energy.Sam is on the very last leg of a three year contract and is quite anxious to return to his wife and daughter. Barring any incidents, Sam will be able to leave his solitude. But something does go wrong.That said, tremendous acting by Sam Rockwell carries this film - mainly because he is basically the only person in the movie. I'm not talking about Cast Away meets the moon… This film explores loneliness much deeper than that, and with much more emotion as well. Luckily for us there are no pieces of sports equipment on which the lead dotes, but instead we're blessed with a monotonous talking robot voiced by Kevin Spacey reminiscent of Hal from 2001 notoriety.I advise that people go see this film, not only to support Duncan, the director, and Sam, but also to explore to possibilities of space and the humanity of loneliness.Don't go in expecting to find what I have discussed, but go in expecting to find something inside yourself.

about it. In Moon, you may begin to think that everything is a big cliché, but than with all of the seemingly cliché plot points, Moon changes them into something entirely original and unexpected. It is an excellent piece of art and I have a strong feeling not enough people will see and appreciate it like I did.

Moon, and they now mine that Helium in order to power the Earth. As Sam begins his last two weeks stationed in the mining facility, his mind begins to break down and he soon realizes he just might not be able to make it back.It is quite obvious that the main intention of Moon was to pay respect to the older science fiction movies like Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it is a great homage to the genre indeed. GERTY is possibly one of my favorite AI computers ever in a movie, because it constantly shows its mood through a series of different smiley faces, and has Kevin Spacey's voice. The overall story of Moon is pretty good, and it definitely tugs a bit on your emotions because the main character Sam is so real and relatable. It is a bit more of an art film, but I have found that the mixture of art and Sci-Fi is a brilliant combination.The absolute key ingredient to making Moon was finding a capable actor because it is essentially a one man show, and they picked a winner with Sam Rockwell. Rockwell gives one of his best performances to date, and while it might be a little early to predict I can see him getting an Oscar nomination for his role. The other great thing about this picture is the special effects. Since the budget was so low this could have been a disaster, but the shots of the Moon Rovers and Harvesters were astonishingly realistic, and a typical movie goer would think this had at least a 40 million dollar budget. It is amazing how much more was accomplished with this tiny budget compared to the $200 million dollars poured into Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.Overall Moon is a complete film. It isn't groundbreaking, but it accomplished everything it set out to be, which are a great homage and a chance for Sam Rockwell to really show his acting prowess. I found myself leaving the theater with a great feeling of satisfaction that I have only received from a couple movies this year so far.9/10

programmed to serve him. His only contact from the outside world is video messages from his wife Dominique McElligott and the company. When one of the mining machines suffers some damage Sam goes out to fix it. However, after seeing images he crashes and wakes up after in the infirmary. GERTY tells Sam he is under orders no to let out the base and he has to trick the robot before being allowed out. In the open spaces of the moon Sam finds another version of himself. Both falls quickly into conflict, both arguing they are the real Sam and the other is a clone. But both also know something wider and darker is happening and they need to solve it before a rescue team arrive.Duncan Jones offers a strong and ambitious debut as a feature director. Sci-fi is not a genre that indie directors attempt and Jones does a wonderful job with a $5 Million budget. He shows that Sci-fi can be meaningful and doesn't resource to action and explosions to keep the audience's interest. It is thoughtful with themes of identity, isolation and the future of mankind. Jones keeps the mystery going and makes the audience exercise their mind whilst watching.Sam Rockwell has a tough job acting by himself, but he is a talented actor and does a excellently. He is allowed to show his range and can show a lot in his facial expressions. Kevin Spacey who is just a voice in this film offers a good impression of HAL 9000.Clint Mansell who composed an fantastic score for Requiem for a Dream has shown his musical talent again which a subtle, haunting score.Jones is an old fashion director, using models rather then CGI. It is refreshing to see in a modern film, is a lot more effective then CGI would have been on such a low budget. It reminds of films such as the original Star War films.Moon pays homage and has similarities to classic Sci-fi such as Alien, Blade Runner, Sunshine, 2001: A Space Odyssey a must see and 2010: the Year We Made Contact a boring dud .Duncan Jones has a fine future ahead of him.

the Moon and then return to Earth? I didn't expect a science related movie to touch on existential subject matter. This movie will make you think about your family. It will make you think about how you put together your identity. No, it isn't merely a movie with crash bang action and explosions on the Moon. This isn't an action movie. It's a movie for thinkers..This movie is edited tightly. There is only one scene where there is some happiness. I suppose you could compare it to a movie about a lonely soldier in WWII who only has a few days to go before the end of his war time assignment. But because it is sci fi, and realistic, you have more to consider: The subject of human cloning comes up. The issue of "where is home"? ...is another matter to contend with. And even more, you must think about a business establishment's loyalty to its workers as an issue. I haven't given you the answers here so that you will see the movie. I consider this a true classic, one which may well be used as an example in film classes.

every science fiction ought to do.This work won't be unworthy of a comparison with Kubrick's- space odyssey – only that it is probably not as visually stimulating as the latter. It does make good use of classical music like Kubrick's. I found the movie to be a bit more accessible than Tarkovsky's Solaris in that it is much more fluid and entertaining Solaris was 3 hr long – executed very slow albeit with a similar idea . Like Solaris, the protagonist's recollections of the life on earth eventually result in some mental instability, but the movie stays away from getting into long philosophical debates on human experience or our place on earth.In general, do expect a lot more than space travel in this movie. To cite an example, the isolation of Sam made him more attached to memories of his life on earth. I don't recall many other movies that have expressed it so well that in isolation, nothing really means anything. Kudos to the director! Such existentialist reflections aside, there are many instances when the movie makes a statement about unethical corporate practices, evasive HR responses - almost to the extent 'Michael Clayton' did. I think that makes it more worthwhile to watch. Still despite all that, it avoids taking any stances on controversies that bother all of us in modern times. It puts us through the fears of the unknown, catastrophes of distrust and what arises from distrust and isolation and all of that.Still, somehow the movie isn't really as dark as the script might make it sound. There is isolation, mistrust, schemes, confusion, curiosities and despair, but the human experience probably transcends the realism of its existence – that was the idea I carried back from the movie theater.

effects.....can a movie like this thrive in todays market? Well you know how i mentioned that the script selection for a Sci-Fi movie isa very tough market to break......and how the script better be incredible if it is going to make it anywhere........well this movie is just that. This movie was just plain brilliant. For those of you who have no idea what this film is about, allow me to shed some light on the subject.........In the future, our main character Sam Rockwell is living on a one man space station on the moon, whose should purpose it to retrieve and send precious resources from the moon back to the earth.....in this process he becomes very lonely and begins to uncover a horrible truth. The movie is directed and told in such a brilliant fashion......they never try to WOW you with its special effects, which are very moderate but pass with flying colors. Its script and method of storytelling are probably the best part. Instead of answering all of your questions all at once, they sort of draw them out and make you claw and scratch for the truth......but the thing that i like the most is how they approach everything.........they take a route that lets you know that you have seen all the other Sci-Fi classics, and addresses all of your concerns of what may happen or what is going to......and then just carries on like its hidding this secret from you.....almost like the movie knows what your thinking, but chooses not to correct you right away.......brilliantly told and shown in an even better light......and with Clint Mansell directing the musical score Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain ......my god, how could you not be pulled in. Now the part that i am excited to talk about the most is the acting......because i really have not had anything to rave about so far this year.......but Sam Rockwell is hands down the best actor so far this year. He has already proved himself to me with "The Green Mile", "Frost/Nixon", and "Choke"......but he knocked this one out of the park. It was a difficult script to pull off for an actor, and he did it with leaps and bounds.......job well done. I will be very upset if he is not at least nominated this year. Bottom Line.......well, "Star Trek" gave you the action/entertainment portion of your Sci-Fi.......whereas this one gives you its underbelly. This is easily one of the best Sci-Fi movies i have seen in a long time, and that is saying a lot coming from me. There was not one thing wrong with this movie......maybe the end was a little sketchy, but it was still not enough to destroy this brilliant film. I urge all of you to go to your local independent movie theatre and watch this movie........you will regret it if you don't.......easily one of the 10 best movies i have seen this year.

loneliness and its consequent madness. With only Sam Rockwell as astronaut Sam Bell, the expectation is "Moon" will repeat those themes and the hope is it will shed new light on them. There are a few snippets where it does get us to begin contemplating existence in a new way, but it doesn't meditate on these ideas enough, doesn't let them cook.Sam Bell is a space worker on the dark side of the moon in the near future when Earth is harvesting moon rocks for Helium 3, a new fuel/energy alternative. Bell is contracted for three years to oversee four rock-harvesting machines. At the time of the story, he's nearly completed his three years and eagerly awaits going home to his wife and daughter when an accident happens leading to a startling discovery.I've always been a fan of Sam Rockwell. He's done a great job balancing comedy and drama in numerous films such as "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and most recently "Frost/Nixon." He brings the same talents to a quiet "Moon." However, "Moon" doesn't give him a lot of opportunity to stretch his dramatic talents despite being the only role in the film; his character is thinly developed, his motivations never clearly spelled out."Moon" has an opportunity to paint a beautiful but tortured picture of life in outer space, but little of Jones' visual imagery really sticks in our minds. A film with so few roles should really be advanced in the way of visual storytelling, should pry deep into the soul of its main character through image, but that's a lot to ask from a novice filmmaker. Instead, he's busy fighting the audience's assumption that the Spacey-voiced computer assistant, GERTY, will inevitably turn evil. You can't spend all your efforts trying not to be too much like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and not identify another force of antagonism. Jones also struggles a lot in the beginning editing scenes together, trying to keep the film's pace up until the discovery.There is quite an inspiring idea behind "Moon," once the true nature of Bell's situation is revealed, but it never hits us the way Jones wants it to. There's simply not enough conflict despite Rockwell's best efforts to keep our attention and the space visuals are not as awe- striking as they need to be to counter that disadvantage as well. "Moon" is a unique movie, but it's a very long and lonely hour and a half.~Steven CVisit my site at http://moviemusereviews.blogspot.com