Monday, July 6, 2009

Moon

A little off-topic, I realize, but if you get the chance to see this movie, it is very well worth it.

The film shares thematic similarities with 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and RoboCop that are both mesmerizing and heartbreaking.

Sam Rockwell plays astronaut Sam Bell, a technician mining the dark side of the moon for clean fuel to ship back to Earth. Except for a computer named Gerty (the very obvious H.A.L. connection), he is completely alone. The only interaction with humans being pre-recorded messages sent from his wife and baby on Earth. He spends his spare time carving a miniature wooden model of small town, hitting a speed bad, and maintaining his fraying nerves.

After an accident on the lunar surface, Sam is revived by Gerty in the infirmary, only to see a mirror image of himself watching over him. An anomaly that brings with it mystery, and some much-needed human interaction for Sam in his closing days on the Moon.

The movie is remarkable for (if nothing else) Rockwell's performance of Sam. And another Sam. He literally carries the movie on his shoulders. The only other faces we see are on pre-recorded video. The only skin contact he has is with himself (in more ways than one). Rockwell is truly an underrated actor and worth the price of admission.

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