This is the second Duncan Jones film I've reviewed and it is proving as problematic as Source Code in not revealing spoilers...I'll do my best. At the end I will give full warning of a short spoiler-rific section because I want to make a few comments that just can't be done otherwise.
Using IMDB's synopsis: Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the
end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his
computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has
helped diminish our planet's power problems (imdb.com).
And thats all I'm sayin' for now plot wise.
Sam is played by the simply fabulous Sam Rockwell, an actor who can carry a film such as this because he has the capability of playing off nothing more than his own reflection. If you have never seen Rockwell then I have a list here of must-sees: Galaxy Quest (shush it's brilliant), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The Assasination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford (don't be put off by the long title or running time), and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (his Zaphod is loveably insane). Of course there is also The Green Mile, but that is one of his more abhorrent roles and, though brilliant as a psychopathic paedophile, I love him too much to call it a must-see performance. Rockwell is an enigmatic, slightly unhinged at times, gorgeous, charming, funny, and dark actor. He brings every ounce of his acting ability to his performance as Sam Bell, a man who has suffered from being on the moon for three years alone except for a computer.
GERTY, said computer, is voiced by equally enigmatic Kevin Spacey, who is aided in his performance here by cartoon smiley faces that reflect what the concerned computer system may be 'feeling'. It is a different portrayal of a computer system, I was half expecting a HAL type override would be the instigator of the action (don't get the reference? First shame on you, second good for you as 2001: A Space Odyssey was perhaps one of the most boring films I've ever forced myself to watch).
The visuals and special effects are really quite convincing. The moon is not such a barren wasteland because of the installations, but I wasn't looking at them or the vehicles thinking "gosh this looks a lot like Thunderbirds", I was enjoying seeing the moon as a productive part of civilisation.
Duncan Jones' story and vision are pretty unique, its unsurprising that David Bowie's son edges toward the wacky side of filmmaking.
However because it is obviously quite a centralised vision the direction is fluid and controlled, never allowed special effects to take over, nor does it make the bizarre story seem explicitly so. You get used to the ideas in this film quite quickly,
So before my spoilers take over a conclusion: This film is one of the best I've seen in a while. It is unique, not because the story it tells is necessarily so, but because it is told so simply and so beautifully. The performance of Sam Rockwell is outstanding, the voice of Kevin Spacey oddly comforting.
The film is in equal measures happy, sad, thrilling, violent, but over all is a fantastic piece of science fiction.
Now to the spoilers. Please stop reading now unless you've seen the film!
SPOILERS!!!!!! SPOILERS!!!!!! SPOILERS!!!!!! SPOILERS!!!! SPOILERS!!!!
I hope no one is reading this part who wants to see the film, believe me it would ruin your whole experience.
What I wanted to say was more on Sam Rockwell's performance, playing clones coming to terms with their fate is difficult for several people (The Island is one example), but Sam has to play against himself. There is also credit due to the director and camera work for not making it seem forced that you cannot have close ups of the two Sams together. The fight scene I thought was very well done, and I enjoyed the interaction between the two in the more simple tasks, like when old Sam teaches new Sam how to build miniature models.
The story too was fascinating and so sad. I was genuinely quite scared that old Sam was going to disintegrate. I loved the rebellion in new Sam, and also in GERTY, I love that the computer didn't end up the fail-safe option of the 'bad-guy'. What I really wanted to know though was what led the original Sam Bell to agree to be cloned in the first place. But as all good movies leave you wanting more I'm happy to have that question float around for a while, maybe someone else will have come up with an answer, and if they could let me know that would be brilliant.
End of spoilers, also end of review. Pretty short but I think the five stars speak for themselves.
Excellent summary!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Rockwell is one of the underrated actors of his generation, I can also recommend his performance in Iron Man 2 as the inept yet opportunistic Justin Hammer.
Moon is such an enigmatic film; it is so conceptual and reflective that we can consider it an arthouse film yet its lack of the abstract and the way it deals with the concept in such an approachable way gives it broader appeal. This is the sort of film John Wyndham would have made if he were a film director.
As for Sam Bell agreeing to be cloned - did he? I can't actually remember but I assumed that he had no idea it was going on. Feel free to correct me if this is implicity stated, it has been almost a year since I last watched it.
It never explicitly says whether or not original Sam has agreed to be cloned but I just don't see how it could be done otherwise? I assumed he had spent three years on the Moon, back when live communication was impossible between the satellite and the Earth (explaining the videos from his wife and daughter), and on returning was cloned so he would never have to go back.
DeleteThen again the uproar rebel Sam creates when he gets to Earth would go some way to show it was done without anyone but the big corporation and GERTY knowing!
I don't know is the simple answer, it was just what I assumed.
That's certainly possible but the other possibility is that he was cloned from blood and skin samples that might have been taken as part of necessary medical checks to ensure that he was suitable for the job in the first place.
DeleteOf course I'm just speculating now. You could be correct and it is a shame that it was never made clear. If Real Sam did know then in the legal hearing at the end, he would have been just as culpable.