c/o typophile
Jones, in his first feature directorial role, also developed the story; the premise of which is intriguing enough, and it only gets more so as the story progresses. But the twists and turns of the plot itself never quite live up to the promise inherent to it.
Sam Bell (a fantastic Sam Rockwell) is nearing the end of a three year shift as the sole (or is he?) overseer of a solar energy harvesting facility on the moon. Intelligent readers may have now discerned the origins of the film's title. Naturally, things do not quite go according to plan, even with a pseudo-sentient A.I. managing the station, and Bell's hopes of completing his contract and returning to earth are put in jeopardy.
It is quite refreshing to see another entry in the "Space Madness" subgenre of sci-fi, as films like the spectacular Sunshine, Event Horizon and Pandorum (the latter two being spectacular for reasons entirely different than the first) are too few and far between. Without getting too far into spoiler-territory, it should be noted that the film is not the psychological mind-fuck that its trailer made it out to be.
Moon spends a majority of its running time having Bell bicker and banter with a mysterious copy of himself in scenes that are made by Rockwell's terrific performance. For reasons the story gets into, the two copies of Bell are quite different characters, and it is very cool to see Rockwell giving it his all, twice.
The problem though, is that these scenes lack any sort of drama, as both Bells seem intent on tip-toeing around all the important questions they should be asking. Why are there two of them? What is going on? And then, after a largely predictable revelation, Why is this corporation trying to fuck us over?
Both Bells seem oblivious to the physical deterioration of the "older" of the two, to the point where you just want to scream at the characters what is going on, and exactly what they need to do. This is a very frustrating position as a viewer, and being in it scene after scene adds up to a very frustrating film. That said, it is the type of film in which none of this would have mattered had there been a knock out punch of an ending. There isn't.
From the midway point on, the film is a series of revelations that are intended to be startling, but ooze across the screen when they should have packed a punch, a fact that is largely due to the audience being roughly eight steps ahead of the characters at every moment.
I just realized that I used the word "punch" twice in the last two paragraphs, something that appears to be a subconscious analysis of what was missing from the film.
Punch. Bang. Whimmy wham wham wazzle.
And by that I don't mean the film needed action. That is not what I mean. Do not let it be misconstrued as such. The real problem with Moon is that is missing an opening act, and has a wholly unnecessary epilogue. The film could have greatly benefitted from completely removing its third act, along with the addition of a true first act. This would allow the revelations that, for some reason, happen in the middle of the film to be the dramatic whimmy wham wham wazzle that the film sorely needed at its close.
It's definitely worth checking out though, there are far worse ways to spend your unemployed days.
Believe men, before Moon, I watched Angels and Demons - blech! Who let Ron Howard direct a thriller?
Normally, I would post a Moon's trailer, but it is quite misleading, if memory serves, and I think the film should speak for itself.
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