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Moon (2009)
 
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Directed
by:
Duncan Jones |
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COUNTRY
United Kingdom |
GENRE
Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller |
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Moon |
RUNNING
TIME
97
minutes |
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Produced
by:
Stuart Fenegan
Trudie Styler |
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Written by:
Nathan Parker |
Review
This intelligent and philosophical science fiction is one of the tightest and
most elegant in this genre in years. Directed by David Bowie's son Duncan
Jones and produced by Sting's wife Trudie Styler, you may not have
expected a film of Moon's calibre: the production is flawless,
with brilliant use of models and very tasteful cinematography, which
illustrates the isolation of Sam's assignment. The direction is
perfectly balanced, combining a keen eye for details and
characterological vibrance with the film's constantly interesting
ethical and contemplative aspects. To what degree can isolation lead to
madness? What rights do the different appearing characters have? And how
is the balance of power between them?
There is little doubt that Jones is inspired by Kubrick's
2001 and other
senior science fiction films, but it is fair to say that the direct
similarities largely stop at the ostensible one between HAL 9000 and
GERTY. In fact, Jones rather uses our anticipation in this respect to
create his own version of a cold and eerie atmosphere, making sure we
don't feel too comfortable in our seats. This thriller effect is a
great achievement, considering how underpopulated the film is and the
low number of locations used.
Still, Moon's greatest asset is Sam Rockwell's remarkable
performance. With the film essentially being a one-man show, Rockwell is
able to act out against entities that aren't an actor's usual sparring
partners, and in the process, he creates full-blown, real and troubled
souls, with their own distinctive characteristics. Often when this kind
of acting is required, you'll find it is overdone, but Rockwell
maintains a perfect balance in one of this year's most accomplished
performances. He is the icing on this very delicious moon-cake.
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