It took Duncan Jones about 4 minutes to prove he is an inspired filmmaker. After the opening credits, about a minute into the story of Moon, Jones’ directorial debut, the audience is already being treated to a brooding, inventive psychological sci-fi drama. That’s one adjective for every 12 seconds of plot, right there.
Sam Rockwell plays Lunar Industries worker Sam Bell, contracted to oversee a mining base on the moon for 3 years before returning to his family on Earth. However, shortly before the end of his contract, a dramatic discovery of the truth behind his work, the company and his identity puts his mission in a new light. Rockwell, who is forced to provide every action and reaction, response, reading, and dramatic emotion in the film, having only computer screens, a robot (voiced perfectly by the venerable Kevin Spacey) and himself to bounce off of, drives this immensely intelligent sci-fi drama with all the confidence and gusto necessary to keep such a heavy film not only going, but hurtling towards its intense conclusion.
The visual element isn’t exactly lacking, either. Jones creates a very physical world with masterful use of miniatures and model shots and minimal use of CGI, utilizing a limited budget to its fullest, taking cues from classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey (notice the computer graphics?) to create an instant sci-fi classic. Additionally, Clint Mansell’s award-worthy score underlines Bell’s solitarity and the visual poetry of the film to elevate Moon even further. Only a redundant epilogue can be considered a fault.
Verdict: Moon is a welcome example of smart science fiction, showing that it’s indeed possible to combine high-concept with intense drama without sacrificing its watchability. Sam Rockwell provides the performance of his career. If only all sci-fi could be this good.
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November 12, 2011 at 2:22 pm
‘Moon’ has to be one of the most thought-provoking films of last year, and I absolutely loved it. Great review!
November 12, 2011 at 5:06 pm
A wonderful film, sadly, the next film by Duncan Jones (did you know that he was David Bowie’s son?) Source Code wasn’t nearly as good….
November 12, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Duncan Jones’ real name is actually Zowie Bowie.
While not as good as Moon, it being nothing short of a masterpiece, Source Code is still a great film.
November 14, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Great film, Rockwells performance was terrific and you’re spot on about maximising the budget, the lunar landscapes were stunning. Great score too. I found Source Code a little disappointing but hopefully Jones has a big future.