User Reviews

It happens frequently but the summer blockbuster season makes it worse. Critics are keen to jump on a bad big budget film to make it out to be the worst thing ever because reviews that lay into a film are fun to write. Conversely any film that is actually "good" comes as such a surprise that sometimes it can be over-hyped and over-praised to the point where one goes to a "good" film half-expecting it to be the most amazing thing ever. That has kinda happened with Mood in two ways. Firstly it has been over-praised but secondly much of the praise has been around the "twists" and avoiding talking about plot points for fear of "spoiling" the story.

I can respect this approach but in doing this the suggestion is made that this is a film full of plot revelations and twisty surprises – the former of which is sort of true but the latter is not. Moon does have a very good little story about it that is thoughtful, engaging and quite moving but it doesn't shock with revelations or twists and most viewers will be at least a few minutes ahead of where the film is going – not because the film is "predictable" but more because it gives the audience respect that we will be able to follow and understand for ourselves to the point where the logic of the situation pulls us along. So, for example, the reason why "original Sam" is getting ill is not really a mystery because it is clear that the "3 year contract" really means "3 year shelf -life"; this is not spelt out for us and it is not slapped down on a table for us to see either – it just is the case and it makes sense within the film's internal logic.

I can understand why some viewers have found this to translate into "nothing happening" or being very slow in delivery but I don't agree with them beyond acknowledging that that was their experience and opinion. To me the simple concept is very well done because it is so focused and tight. Things do not fall into a space battle with guns and explosions but, while there is a forward motion with the plot, a good chunk of the drama comes from the feelings and realisations of the two characters. That said, it is not as smart or as well done as one would have liked. The "news coverage" conclusion feels like it was the easiest way to produce an ending to the plot but it seems too pat and, while it feels like it was meant to "answer questions", by "closing" the story it actually reminds the viewer how many unanswered parts there are to the bigger picture. The character drama is not as good as some would say either but it is helped immensely by Rockwell giving great performance(s). He is part of the reason we feel for his character(s) and are drawn into the film. He would have benefited a great deal from more scenes that stretch him (like the live video link to his daughter) and fewer where he is hanging around but he does still give good work. The supporting cast are limited in input but while Spacey does a good job with his computer, the others are solid enough not to distract in their small roles.

Visually the limited budget does show but this appears to have been accounted for by giving the entire production a rather endearing lo-fi feel that does match the reality of the future. Too often everything is shiny, white and clean as if dirt has been eliminated and expense is not a limiting factor; it feels more convincing to have things done on the cheap and be worn and old. It has been said endless times already but it does have an engaging "70's" feel to it and, in the wake of the mindless, boring rubbish of Transformers 2, it is nice to find something good being made under the sci-fi banner. In contrast to the models though, the split screen effects are really very good.

Moon may not be the perfect film that some viewers have seen, but this should not be taken as a criticism because it is still a very good, low budget sci-fi. It doesn't totally delivery in the keys areas of plot and character but, even as it falls short of what could have been, it still delivers enough in the way of intelligence, thoughtfulness, silent tension and plot to make it a very good little sci-fi that is well worth seeing if you get the chance. Or, to put it another way, a choice between this and GI Joe ids no choice at all from my point of view!

I literally had no idea what this was going to be about, but strapped in and hit "play." I recently saw and enjoyed Duncan Jones' "Source Code" and thought I'd give this a try. And while "Moon" is intriguing and poses an interesting sci-fi plot and dilemma, I found it a bit tedious and flat.

Too much doesn't add up for me. Like why does a Company generating the majority of energy on Earth have one singular individual at work managing their entire Moon operation? And why is cloning a better alternative than a full team of on-site techs and problem solvers? Hard to get past these and other questions. If you can, the story is interesting to start, but turns painfully sad as Sam's realization that his life is a lie and he has nothing to live for, sets in. This realization comes during the film's major plot twist, but it's achingly slow in getting to the meat (and resolution) of the story. I was between a 6 and a 7 here, but rounded up due to Sam Rockwell's.inspired performance. In conclusion: not a bad movie, but was hoping for more.

This movie's idea has potential but the production didn't match it.

It's really interesting to develop topics like cloning: is it ethical to create clones? Do clones have the same rights as humans? It also opens the question about the ethics of exploiting the moon's resources to serve the Earth.

However, the acting and dialogues were too basic at time and the movie was really slow, which made it a little boring at first.

Directed by David Bowie's 38-year-old son (formerly known as Zowie), with a screenplay by Nathan Parker, 'Moon' is a curious and thought-provoking sci-fi story about a man working for an energy company, mining Helium-3 on the far side of the moon, who discovers, just as his three-year contract is ending, that he may not be going home. Sam Rockwell gets to do a virtuoso turn as alternative versions of himself (his character's name is Sam too, Sam Bell). Events are set in a traditional space station with a capacious, softly lit layout featuring the obligatory human-voiced and omnipresent computer -- mobile, not so big, a sort of clunky R2D2 -- creepily accommodating and voiced by an almost-human Kevin Spacey. It's a robot, I guess, and its name is GERTY. There are nice lunar landscapes outside where Sam sometimes rides around in a puffed-up Hummer-style Land Rover to explore or look over the machinery extracting Helium-3. Instead of the now all-too-usual and increasingly irrelevant CGI, there's more the feel of a giant mock-up in everything we see, which provides a better kind of background for what is essentially a Kafkaesque head trip. The interior isn't all modernistic chill. There's also a funky armchair reminiscent of the final sequence of '2001,' and cozy junk, even a college pennant, on the wall around Sam's bunk, sort of like a frat boy's quarters. Sam Rockwell's own appearance, his skin far from perfect and his expression a bit wacko, suggests an ordinary guy, just a worker, which is what he is, not some Astronaut.

'Moon' explores the paranoia we feel about a possible future increasingly dominated by evil, pervasive corporations -- not Big Brother, but Big Corp. It also gets at something hauntingly explored in the movie Jones's dad Bowie played an alien in in way back when, Nicholas Roeg's 'The Man Who Fell to Earth': the terrible loneliness of being out in space away from one's own kind. Sam works on the moon all by himself, and some kind of radio blockage keeps him from being in direct electronic contact with people, including his wife. There's also another aspect of space travel where distances destroy human chronology: a distorted and confused sense of time troubles Sam when he tries to figure out what's been going on with his little family back on earth. It seems like it all happened a longer time ago than he knew. Or did it maybe happen to somebody else? Such questions may arise from time to time in other space movies, but the filmmakers are usually too preoccupied with stuff like conflicts among the crew, threats from hostile invaders, or technical meltdowns to go into the full awful anomie, mega-aloneness and paranoid delusion lengthy sojourns in space are likely to induce. 'Moon,' however, has no other crew members or invaders or technical problems. Everything seems to be operating according to plan; only it's beginning to seem Sam didn't know what the whole plan was, insofar as his future is concerned. When he's out checking on something not far from the module, the vehicle gets into some kind of accident, and when he wakes up, things start to go strangely wrong. This is where the full-on head trip begins, and we, and Sam, start trying to figure out what's going on. That's all I can tell you, because it's essential that the mystery unfold on its own.

'Moon' doesn't dazzle but gives pleasure in its low-keyed conviction. It even made me think of Shane Carruth's 2004 virtually no-budget cult time-travel movie, 'Primer,' because even with relatively elaborate sets and effects, it still focuses on ideas, rather than razzle-dazzle -- on what Sam is going through, rather than what the filmmakers were up to.

Hence the key work is done by Rockwell. Sam Bell is exhausted and lonely after three years alone on the moon with only GERTY for company, and Rockwell must go through a series of reawakenings and breakdowns after he hallucinates and has that accident in the vehicle and then becomes increasingly confused, angry, and frantic about what's going on. I'm not sure Jones or Parker make the most of the situation they set up, but Rockwell's quick reactions and mood shifts hold our attention very well. As we know from 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,' 'Joshua,' and 'Snow Angels,' Rockwell does great mental breakdowns. This time he does rapid physical deterioration equally well. In a sense, all the most important special effects come out of the actor's bag of tricks. But that's not to forget the satisfying simplicity of the lunar landscape design sculpted by cinematographer Gary Shaw and production designer Tony Noble, or to overlook Clint Mansell's evocative musical soundscape. And when Sam confronts other versions of himself, needless to say the CGI folks were needed to pull it off within single frames.

Low keyed and a little slow, 'Moon' isn't for everyone and may seem tailored primarily for sci-fi buffs. But its disturbing exploration of identity goes back to a child's fundamental philosophical speculations: Why am I here? Who am I? How do I know I'm me?

Moon is ostensibly a one-man show featuring Sam Rockwell as an astronaut sent to the moon on a three-year contract to maintain a mining station that harvests the sun's fusion energy from moonrocks. We are thrown into the mix with only two weeks left in his tenure, the desire to return to his wife and daughter, whom he has never seen in real life yet, strong and his psyche all but ready to break from the lack of human interaction. Sam Bell has been keeping busy by utilizing a treadmill, watching old Nick at Nite type sitcoms, whittling away at a wooden model of his hometown with an X-acto knife, and conversing with the station's artificial intelligence GERTY. The live feed to Earth has been disengaged for a while now, leaving this monotonous voice and bright yellow smiley face—complete with changing expressions—of Kevin Spacey his only friend. Sure he gets to record video packages for his wife and bosses at Lunar Industries, and they reply back to him, but the distance needed to travel is great and the time between too long.

Cabin fever has definitely set in as Sam begins to zone out and manifest a woman, first sitting down in his chair and then out on the moon's surface while he is out for a routine check. Both instances cause him to forget what he was doing, causing great personal harm and injury. When the real trouble occurs, however, is the moment—as seen in the trailer—he brings back a body from the surface that appears, for all intents and purposes, to be him. This is the point where talking about Moon gets a little difficult so as to not ruin the mystery that should be unsolved when you sit down to watch the film. The trailer portrays a story that seems to beg the question of whether the second Sam is truly there or only in his imagination as he slowly goes insane. I won't divulge the answer, but instead say that it gets solved fairly quickly. So, instead of the film becoming a psychological thriller with a big reveal at its conclusion, Duncan Jones' story becomes complete science fiction, bringing in moral questions about technological advances we in 2009 are just beginning to wrestle with.

This aspect, while at first threatening to ruin my experience as I entered thinking the question of whether Sam number two was real or not would be the backbone to the tale, became so important to my enjoyment. Rather than a look inside the psyche of this man, isolated for so long, we are given a tense race against time as Sam must discover what is happening and think of a way to get out from under it all before the ELIZA rescue team arrives from Earth, an event that could have very dire consequences. I don't want to ruin too much, but let me just say that the clock is counting down to his death, an ending that could be caused by many different factors, (failing health, execution by those coming, etc.), that also begs the question of whether he is in fact alive in the first place. I have to say that Jones and screenwriter Nathan Parker put together a taut thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The pacing is deliberate and rapid all at the same time, the art direction pristine, and the camera tricks very impressive.

Sam Rockwell is a major part of this as it is definitely the best work of his career. Not only is he on screen for the entire run time, about 80% of it is playing opposite a computer or himself. The pressures being put upon his shoulders, the fear of what may be happening, about his very own existence, weigh down his emotional strength and it shows. The outbursts, the sarcasm, the joking around to anger his doppelganger, and the heartbreaking realization of what is going on show through with perfection. This is his shining moment, proving his craft and ability to act above and beyond the "funny guy" he is often relegated to play. Especially when pitted against such a stark background of clinical white futuristic rooms or the vacuum of space, the angst, joy, disbelief, and fortitude of his humanity are all that we are able to see, his performance is paramount to the film's success.

I know that, as far as storyline goes, this review remains somewhat vague besides expressing the visceral tension and underlying mystery waiting to be solved, but I believe that is for your own viewing pleasure. While the trailer is not necessarily misleading, it posits a question that is answered early on as being the main crux of the entire film. That possibility of more than one Sam Bell or of a man who's hold of reality has been broken may be what you went into the film expecting to see. Well you will just see it sooner than expected and as a lead into the real story of survival, identity, and the idea of home. In that respect, having the trailer's mystery solved only means more time for unexpected story lines; it may have gotten you into the seats, but it is only the beginning of what this science fiction classic-in-waiting has to offer.

Moon is a philosophical film at heart, examining a variety of complex subjects and dilemmas with a precise and perfect manner, mirroring the voice of its robot servant Gerty and the emptiness of the base itself. This is both the source of its beauty and a few problems.

(Spoiler Alert) Although the beginning of the film gives us the usual stark view of the "astronaut alone," common in all well-done space movies and in this case especially derivative of the original Solaris, it is in Sam's discovery that the film really takes flight and becomes something exciting and new. Sam Rockwell gives a stunning performance, playing multiple versions of Sam Bell with great care and delicacy, making each clone new and yet the same; totally different from the often unintentionally comedic performances a role like that can manifest.

But the subtlety of Rockwell's performance, when combined with the starkness and quiet of the base, can make the film feel mechanical to the unprepared viewer. Rockwell doesn't force his audience to feel for him. It's something that occurs only when you take time out from the screen to examine just how lonely, terrifying, and unfair Sam's experience is. You have to explore Sam's plight on your own. It is up to you to unravel the multitude of layers and depths swimming beneath the surface of this intricate story or take them at face value, an aspect of the film that can potentially leave many viewers understandably unsatisfied and unmoved.

One of the emotional surprises in the film does come from Sam's interaction with Gerty the robot, his only companion. Gerty is the best on screen portrayal of a robot "friend" to date. He takes great care of Sam, not because he feels for Sam, but because that is logically the best thing for him to do, and yet he does his job well. He is neither sinister or abnormally compliant, his emoticon "face" lending the film an at times eerie and other times emotive component that feels more realistic and effective then his counterparts like HAL or Robbie the Robot.

I loved the film, was compelled as I watched it, and unable to easily leave it behind once I left the theater. But I also didn't leave with a strong emotional response, despite my understanding of the broad horrors of that Sam was facing. I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or not; maybe it depends on which version of me was watching.

SPOILER ALERT --- .

. .

. --- I HATE MOVIES WITH UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.

Q: Why didn't Sam's daughter recognize her father's voice?

Q: How did Sam's wife die?

Q: Why are they mass cloning the first astronaut on this lunar project? Cheaper to clone the first one and make copies than train replacement astronauts?

Q: Why did the first Sam clone die?

Q: Why did the second Sam clone get flown back to Earth?

Q: Why didn't the the corporation just terminate the clone immediately or use the Eliza as an execution chamber to dispose of the clone?

Q: Why did GERTY tell the clone they're a clone?

The future can be bright and the future can be bleak. It's an area that has always offered writers and filmmakers have often looked at and brought us some real classics. Here is Duncan Jones' homage to the great era of Sci-fi from of the 60s to the 80s.

In Duncan Jones' vision of the future the world's energy needs are solved by mining the moon for helium-3 which can be used for nuclear fusion. Living on the dark side of the moon is Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), who is coming to the end of a 3 year contract. He has lived in isolation, with only GERTY (Kevin Spacey), a robot who is programmed to serve him. His only contact from the outside world is video messages from his wife (Dominique McElligott) and the company. When one of the mining machines suffers some damage Sam goes out to fix it. However, after seeing images he crashes and wakes up after in the infirmary. GERTY tells Sam he is under orders no to let out the base and he has to trick the robot before being allowed out. In the open spaces of the moon Sam finds another version of himself. Both falls quickly into conflict, both arguing they are the real Sam and the other is a clone. But both also know something wider and darker is happening and they need to solve it before a rescue team arrive.

Duncan Jones offers a strong and ambitious debut as a feature director. Sci-fi is not a genre that indie directors attempt and Jones does a wonderful job with a $5 Million budget. He shows that Sci-fi can be meaningful and doesn't resource to action and explosions to keep the audience's interest. It is thoughtful with themes of identity, isolation and the future of mankind. Jones keeps the mystery going and makes the audience exercise their mind whilst watching.

Sam Rockwell has a tough job acting by himself, but he is a talented actor and does a excellently. He is allowed to show his range and can show a lot in his facial expressions. Kevin Spacey who is just a voice in this film offers a good impression of HAL 9000.

Clint Mansell who composed an fantastic score for Requiem for a Dream has shown his musical talent again which a subtle, haunting score.

Jones is an old fashion director, using models rather then CGI. It is refreshing to see in a modern film, is a lot more effective then CGI would have been on such a low budget. It reminds of films such as the original Star War films.

Moon pays homage and has similarities to classic Sci-fi such as Alien, Blade Runner, Sunshine, 2001: A Space Odyssey (a must see) and 2010: the Year We Made Contact (a boring dud).

Duncan Jones has a fine future ahead of him.

Many logical inconsistencies. Why does the second Sam react that different to being a clone? Why is the robot designed to fully help Sam, even giving him access to secret passwords? Why does the company install things to disturb the live stream to earth - they simply could hinder a live stream by software. And what is Sam there for at all? It seems like robots could do all the work by themselves.

Regardless of the mentioned flaws the movie hits the right emotional buttons. If you stop question and follow the emotional disturbing journey the movie works perfectly.