Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009)

[Jeffy Pop]

Saw this on Sunday and I can't stop thinking about it. Very powerful piece of film making that should hold up well on repeat viewings. On the surface, it is sort of minimalist and spare, but underneath there is a lot to absorb. I'm looking forward to seeing it again so I can catch all of the things that I missed.

[redrum]

how's Mansell's score?

[Indy Jones Fan]

Overall I really liked the movie however, (major spoiler alert. Click only if you've seen the movie.)

Spoiler:

I feel like the the big reveal that they are clones came too soon. I think the story was more interesting and surreal when we didn't know who or what the second Sam was. More of a mystery leaving the audience to wonder if there really were 2 Sam's or if one of them was hallucinating/going mad. Perhaps only the last 10-15 minutes should have dealt with their realization that they are clones and that the company would not have allowed them to live?

Just my opinion of course.

[Jeffy Pop]

Originally Posted by redrum

how's Mansell's score?

It's good. Probably not as memorable as Requiem for a Dream, but I imagine if you like his previous work, you'll like this. The sound in my theater was horrible, so I didn't really get a good sense of it. Too busy straining to hear the dialogue.

[Sierra Disc]

If Sam Rockwell doesn't get an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for this, I will resign my membership in the Academy. Well, if I had one. Either way, he's freaking awesome, this is a great slow burn of a movie.

[Tarantino]

Saw this last night at a small Monterey indie theater on the coast. Kept our interest the whole time. It was a very good movie and Rockwell definitely needs an Oscar nom for his performance(s).

= J

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by Tarantino

Saw this last night at a small Monterey indie theater on the coast. Kept our interest the whole time. It was a very good movie and Rockwell definitely needs an Oscar nom for his performance(s).

So it wasn't booooooooring?

[filmerp]

Originally Posted by Indy Jones Fan

Overall I really liked the movie however, (major spoiler alert. Click only if you've seen the movie.)

Spoiler:

I feel like the the big reveal that they are clones came too soon. I think the story was more interesting and surreal when we didn't know who or what the second Sam was. More of a mystery leaving the audience to wonder if there really were 2 Sam's or if one of them was hallucinating/going mad. Perhaps only the last 10-15 minutes should have dealt with their realization that they are clones and that the company would not have allowed them to live?

Just my opinion of course.

Spoiler:

That's actually what I quite appreciated about the film- that Sam's character wasn't far behind the audience in his logic. I pretty much figured that he must be a clone as soon as the second version woke up on the table after the crash since someone would have needed to bring him back to the base, and it would have annoyed me greatly if he weren't dealing with the same conclusions as I was for another hour.

[DonnachaOne]

Moon is great, a 2000 AD story come to life. Sam Rockwell is very, very good. I love how the film for the most part avoids cliches, setting it apart from typical sci-fi films. It honestly feels like a short that was adapted into a longer film, like a "Tales From The Crypt" episode that you really enjoyed and thought was interesting enough to be extended beyond the ending. The application of a literal "ticking clock" is a little disappointing, considering how entertaining the rest of the film is. The look of the film is beautiful and never seems cheap or fake - if there's any CG in this I didn't see it. I was also happy to see British actors Benedict Wong and Matt Berry crop up as corporate bastards (that's two very intelligent space films for Wong, along with Sunshine), and Kevin Spacey's voice as Sam's doting robot assistant was a pleasure to hear. Other reviews might talk of a "twist". It's not really so much of a twist as a complication that happens at the end of the first act, but which works better if the audience isn't already aware of it. It's fairly easy to guess anyway, and I'm happy that it wasn't used for the ending, but rather the beginning of Sam the astronaut's story. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing what Duncan Jones does next.

[RD1973]

Originally Posted by DonnachaOne

Moon is great, a 2000 AD story come to life. Sam Rockwell is very, very good. I love how the film for the most part avoids cliches, setting it apart from typical sci-fi films. It honestly feels like a short that was adapted into a longer film, like a "Tales From The Crypt" episode that you really enjoyed and thought was interesting enough to be extended beyond the ending. The application of a literal "ticking clock" is a little disappointing, considering how entertaining the rest of the film is. The look of the film is beautiful and never seems cheap or fake - if there's any CG in this I didn't see it. I was also happy to see British actors Benedict Wong and Matt Berry crop up as corporate bastards (that's two very intelligent space films for Wong, along with Sunshine), and Kevin Spacey's voice as Sam's doting robot assistant was a pleasure to hear. Other reviews might talk of a "twist". It's not really so much of a twist as a complication that happens at the end of the first act, but which works better if the audience isn't already aware of it. It's fairly easy to guess anyway, and I'm happy that it wasn't used for the ending, but rather the beginning of Sam the astronaut's story. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing what Duncan Jones does next.

I just saw it today and I have to agree, its very good. And Sam Rockwell is awesome. After all the shit we've had to endure this summer, things are picking up now.

I do have a few nitpicks, though. I thought the smiley faces on Gerty were a little too cute. Also, I wish the movie would have gone on a little longer (maybe 10 minutes). I would have liked to see a little more of each character's fate and the corporation's reaction to the tower going down.

Just one question: Why does Sam get sick? Exposure to solar radiation, being in space too long, limited life-span, or natural causes? I think I know, but I'm not quite sure.

[Scotts35]

Originally Posted by Jeffy Pop

It's good. Probably not as memorable as Requiem for a Dream, but I imagine if you like his previous work, you'll like this. The sound in my theater was horrible, so I didn't really get a good sense of it. Too busy straining to hear the dialogue.

You were probably in a DTS equipped theater for a movie that had no DTS discs shipped with the prints (at least mine didn't).

[Phod]

Awesome movie, my favorite of the year so far.

I enjoyed how there were a lot of unanswered questions that you could speculate on after the fact.

Spoiler:

Did the Sam Bell on Earth know about his clones?

Did he even work for this company... ever?

Was he up there for a period of time, which is where the original Tess messages came from, or not? If he was there, did the corporation have the clone plan in place the whole time?

Why did the clone Sam see an image of his grown daughter a couple of times... some weird clone connection?

[Indy Jones Fan]

Originally Posted by filmerp

Spoiler:

That's actually what I quite appreciated about the film- that Sam's character wasn't far behind the audience in his logic. I pretty much figured that he must be a clone as soon as the second version woke up on the table after the crash since someone would have needed to bring him back to the base, and it would have annoyed me greatly if he weren't dealing with the same conclusions as I was for another hour.

Spoiler:

I guess I would have preferred it to not have been so obvious to Sam's character or the audience. I guessed it right away too which is what disappointed me.

As I said though I really liked the movie and this was just a very small complaint.

[DonnachaOne]

Originally Posted by RD1973

I do have a few nitpicks, though. I thought the smiley faces on Gerty were a little too cute.

I think they worked. I can easily see some corporate hardware using some insincere CG sprite to make the interface "friendlier", much like Microsoft Word's paper clip or Search Tool's puppy. And of course,

Spoiler:

there was always the annoying sure feeling that in the end, Gerty would get a "mad face". I was pleased that they declined to use such a cliche.

Originally Posted by RD1973

Also, I wish the movie would have gone on a little longer (maybe 10 minutes). I would have liked to see a little more of each character's fate and the corporation's reaction to the tower going down.

Well, everything we learn is through Sam's eyes, really. I like how the end could easily be interpreted to be Sam's expectation of his reception.

Originally Posted by RD1973

Just one question: Why does Sam get sick? Exposure to solar radiation, being in space too long, limited life-span, or natural causes? I think I know, but I'm not quite sure.

Well, Sam reviews the video messages, going back in three-year intervals;

Spoiler:

they all get severely sick at the end of the three-year "contracts" before being incinerated. It's apparent that the clones have a three-year lifespan - a fact which "Sick Sam" keeps from "New Sam", nicely enough.

[SPiRAL]

Been playing here for a long time. Finally going to see it tomorrow.

[devilshalo]

Really enjoyed it. Tho I would have liked a bit more prelude, to give a little more time towards Sam's desolation. And the ending was wonderful.. thinking how

Spoiler:

the Sam Bell Clone was living his 3 years by telling the world about him and the reactions of the public.

[RD1973]

Originally Posted by DonnachaOne

I think they worked. I can easily see some corporate hardware using some insincere CG sprite to make the interface "friendlier", much like Microsoft Word's paper clip or Search Tool's puppy. And of course,

Spoiler:

there was always the annoying sure feeling that in the end, Gerty would get a "mad face". I was pleased that they declined to use such a cliche.

Well, everything we learn is through Sam's eyes, really. I like how the end could easily be interpreted to be Sam's expectation of his reception.

Well, Sam reviews the video messages, going back in three-year intervals;

Spoiler:

they all get severely sick at the end of the three-year "contracts" before being incinerated. It's apparent that the clones have a three-year lifespan - a fact which "Sick Sam" keeps from "New Sam", nicely enough.

Spoiler:

I originally thought "limited life-span" but then it occured to me that maybe they don't last long due to the harsh conditions on the moon. The low gravity, the exposure to helium 3, not to mention 3 years of cosmic radiation. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I started to lean in this direction toward the end of the film. I guess I wanted "New Sam" to have a shot at a normal life.

As for the smileys, they annoyed me because I naturally wanted to look at Gerty's "eye" when it spoke. So, the smileys were a little distracting.

[devilshalo]

Originally Posted by RD1973

As for the smileys, they annoyed me because I naturally wanted to look at Gerty's "eye" when it spoke. So, the smileys were a little distracting.

I didn't find them distracting at all.. and thought it was a good representation of how we communicate thru the net now with the use of smilies. Gerty was like one big Instant Message up until

Spoiler:

he helped Sam clone #1 with the password and Sam clone #2 explained to Gerty that "we're not programs, we're people" and made an inference that Gerty was also a person.

[SuckaMC]

This was fantastic. I was happy that Sam figured out what was up about when we did instead of dragging out some forced mystery.

Spoiler:

I also like that Gerty never did the standard sci-fi "computer flip out" and try to kill Sam or sabotage stuff.

Rockwell was great as well. It's definately a movie that sticks with you.

[Trevor]

Loved it.

Big shame on Jason Bailey and Brian Orndorf for a major spoiler reveal in their reviews, and props to Jamie Rich for showing how a situation like that should be handled.

[SuckaMC]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Loved it.

Big shame on Jason Bailey and Brian Orndorf for a major spoiler reveal in their reviews, and props to Jamie Rich for showing how a situation like that should be handled.

Wow, I just read those reviews. Glad I stayed away before seeing the movie. A clue would be that if the main character wakes up and ends up finding something shocking, then it probably be shocking for the audience too. Not given away in a review. Weird.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by Jeffy Pop

It's good. Probably not as memorable as Requiem for a Dream, but I imagine if you like his previous work, you'll like this. The sound in my theater was horrible, so I didn't really get a good sense of it. Too busy straining to hear the dialogue.

Originally Posted by Scotts35

You were probably in a DTS equipped theater for a movie that had no DTS discs shipped with the prints (at least mine didn't).

but even in Dolby Digital the soundmix was pretty restained.

[The O]

Originally Posted by Trevor

Loved it.

Big shame on Jason Bailey and Brian Orndorf for a major spoiler reveal in their reviews, and props to Jamie Rich for showing how a situation like that should be handled.

From the director of MOON, Duncan Jones, on spoilers:

Spoiler:

“I don’t consider it blowing it, because as you know, the fact that he is a clone comes out at the end of the first act,” Jones said. “So, you know, there is still a big chunk of film to go. And the other reason I don’t mind it is, I really believe that it’s one of Sam Rockwell’s best performances that he has ever given. And it’s because of what he does after the point he is playing multiple roles that I think it is so genius.”

Also:

"It is tricky--when I was writing it, I wasn’t really thinking about how you guys were going to have to deal with it. There is a large change in the plot at the end of the first act, a revelation that changes the dynamics of everything. I have been willing to let people talk about the fact that Sam plays multiple parts because one of the things that I am so proud of about the film is that Sam’s performance is fantastic and one of the things that makes Sam’s performance so fantastic is what he is able to do with playing multiple parts when he had such an incredible technical challenge in how we had to do it. He was still able to create this incredibly nuanced and believable performance as many people. If that comes out, it isn’t the most devastating thing in the world to me. It would be a shame for some people who like to see films with absolutely no idea about what they are about--I happen to be one of those people--but I don’t think it spoils the film to know that Sam plays multiple versions of himself. It just means that you see things from a slightly different starting point, that’s all."

I can see your point of distress, but I can also see the benefits of allowing that first-act revelation to be known, or at least hinted at, to create a sense of mystery in the review -- a perhaps misguided, but earnest shot at getting someone who's never heard of the film into a seat.

[Supermallet]

This, along with The Hurt Locker and Star Trek, is one of my favorite movies of the year to date. I want my own Gerty.

[printerati]

Originally Posted by Phod

Awesome movie, my favorite of the year so far.

I enjoyed how there were a lot of unanswered questions that you could speculate on after the fact.

Spoiler:

Did the Sam Bell on Earth know about his clones?

Did he even work for this company... ever?

Was he up there for a period of time, which is where the original Tess messages came from, or not? If he was there, did the corporation have the clone plan in place the whole time?

Why did the clone Sam see an image of his grown daughter a couple of times... some weird clone connection?

Your final unanswered question is my biggest nitpick with the film. It seemed like nothing more than a red herring, and really seemed out of place thematically as the film progressed. Overall, however, I enjoyed it quite a bit.