Moon

16.03.2010

Film Trailer

Three years alone on a lunar base has led Sam Bell to the brink of madness, and strange events causes him to question his own identity. Sam Rockwell is impressive in the lead role, but the film does not succeed in revealing its surprises in a good way.

Plot
For three years, Sam Bell has been the only person on Lunar Industries’ mining station on the moon. The largely automated mining activity extracts Helium 3, an energy source that is free from radiation. Sam is responsible for monitoring the operation, providing repair and harvesting ready canisters containing the valuable resource.

The monotonous daily routines and lack of human contact has led Sam into deep loneliness. The only company he has is the talking computer Gerty, a super computer that controls all the details of the mining operation. As well as this, Sam gets a few video messages from his wife and daughter on earth. But none of these things can make up for the need for genuine human contact and the desire to be with his family.

Fortunately, there are only two weeks left until the mission is completed. But the question is whether Sam is able to hold out so long. He talks to himself and his plants, is sloppy and has let his hair and beard grow. In addition, he has begun to hallucinate – why is there a dark-haired girl sitting in the kitchen? Sam’s grip on reality is slipping, and, when he sees the girl while driving a large lunar vehicle in the outskirts of the base, he violently crashes.

We will not give away what happens next. Suffice to say, when Sam wakes up again, back in the infirmary at the lunar base, a series of strange events follows, leading Sam to the breaking point of paranoia and madness. Why does Gerty have secret conversations with executives at the company? Has his wife really waited for him all these years? Is everything a figment of his imagination? And finally, who is he – really?

Quality and Theme
"Moon" is, first and foremost, Sam Rockwell's film. In the role of Sam Bell, he is showing his great talent as an actor. He gives a credible representation of a person who lives through the whole range of human emotions, ranging from calm, confident and good humoured, to unrest, fear and utter despair. His performance alone is a good reason to see this film.

Several aspects of this science-fiction film has similarities with classics such as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Solaris", with the intelligent computer as the most obvious example. However, even though "Moon" deals with an exciting theme and presents some good ideas, the film is nowhere near the quality of those classics. What could have been an interesting portrait of human identity and loneliness, has become a story that does not awaken sufficient interest. As well as this, the great surprises are missing.

On the other hand, there is much good material that young people can learn from. The film provides a good insight into the fact that man is a social being, and what loneliness and lack of human contact can do with us. The film also brings up some very interesting questions about identity. What happens to a human being when everything we are – our heritage, belonging and life history – is taken away from us? As well as this, the film raises critical questions of whether it is right to allow large-scale commercial companies to have a decisive influence on society. A common question in the science-fiction genre is also included; what will happen to human beings when industry and computers are sufficiently effective to survive on their own?

Suitability
"Moon" has a “15” rating. The story has an overall unsettling mood, and is far from light entertainment. The interesting theme and questions raised make this a film young people from 15 years can benefit from seeing.

Conclusion
“Moon” is a well-made film with a very good lead actor, however, the story itself lacks that little extra that could have made it much more interesting than it actually is.

Facts

Director: Duncan Jones Genre: Drama, Science Fiction Actors: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligot, Kaya Scodelario and more Language: English Nationality: England Production Company: Liberty Films UK, Lunar Industries, Xingu Films Length: 1 hour 37 min Production Year: 2009 Age limit: 15 Suitability: Young people/adults BBFC’s Consumer Advice: Contains strong language.