Review Rating: 9
Sam Bell is a solitary astronaut miner in charge of the mining station on the moon at the end of his three year contract and preparing to go home when he discovers, Sam isn’t so alone out there.
It would be really hard to do a rave review of this movie and not give the entire plot away, but I will dutifully try. Moon is a triumph of movie making in a time where Hollywood seems to have reverted to 80’s Saturday morning cartoons and remakes or reboots of old movies in order to bring us entertainment: unique, in both look and story, passionately acted and faithfully brought to us despite other supposed blockbusters clouding the way. Not much in the way of violence, the moon scenes are done with simple models shot over three days, and all of like 4 main actors altogether; Moon reminds of that complex seed we’ve all been missing for some time: plot. And boy does this movie have it in spades.
You really have to feel for Sam Bell – all alone out there on the moon with noone but GERTY, his computer helper with the ever present smileys, trying to fill the time for three long years. He watches really old tv (I think it was the Mary Tyler Moore Show), he exercises, he makes a wood model of his hometown, and makes little affectations here and there to make the station seem like home. (Note the strange symbols next to the English on the walls in the station, that’s Korean writing, and when he talks with some earth businessmen via link, they end with a traditional Korean closing.) But then one day, with two weeks left to go on his three year assignment, Sam goes out in a rover to fix a stalled harvester and gets himself into an accident where he’s badly hurt. From there we cut right to the infirmary where Sam is resting more or less peacefully, and we of course wonder how the hell that’s possible, when Sam was all the way out with the harvester and completely alone here on the moon. With me so far? From there, Sam learns a whole bunch of horrible truths about his time there on the moon, and I really don’t want to give away any more, that would just be a true spoiler. Just trust me, for those of you who really want a good story, see this movie if you get a chance. Sam Rockwell stars as Sam Bell, and boy does he deliver, you just want to cheer right out loud for him. And yes, for you trivia buffs who think GERTY sounds familiar, that is Kevin Spacey’s voice!
Moon is worth every aggravation to get to the movies, the ticket prices and even the concession stands, a long-lost diamond in the rough world of movies!