Directed by Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son, trivia fans), Moon stars Sam Rockwell as astronaut Sam Bell, who’s nearing the end of his three year solo posting on the moon, supervising the mining and sending of valuable fuel supplies back to earth. With the live communication link to earth permanently on the fritz, Sam only has space station computer GERTY (Kevin Spacey) and video messages from his wife (Dominique McElligott) to keep him company, so it’s no wonder that he’s starts to hallucinate a bit.

The production design is excellent, with bright white interiors, curvy corridors and chunky typefaces that recall both 2001: A Space Odyssey and 1970s sci-fi shows such as Space 1999. The effects are particularly good too – Jones eschews CGI on the exterior sequences in favour of some old-fashioned model work, a technique that yields impressive results.

It’s fair to say that the script is much less concerned with the sci-fi thriller elements of the story than the ultimately rather poignant, deeply emotional drama that unfolds. To this end, Jones deliberately steps back from the big reveals you’re expecting, which is initially a little unsettling.

It’s difficult to review Moon without giving too much away, so skip this paragraph if you don’t want to know a key plot detail (although, to be fair, said detail is given away in the trailer): essentially, Sam wakes up to find himself being cared for by a clone of himself and Rockwell expertly portrays two different versions of the same character. The curious thing is that you come to care for them both individually.

There’s also strong support from Kevin Spacey, whose HAL impression is note-perfect as GERTY, and brief but effective appearances by Kaya Scodelario, Benedict Wong, Matt Berry and Dominique McElligott.

Moon is a superbly made, brilliantly acted sci-fi drama that is simultaneously creepy, darkly funny and, ultimately, deeply moving. Highly recommended.

credits: ViewLondon | Yahoo! Movies Singapore

Official Movie Poster

Singapore Date: 27th August 2009 Language: English Running Time: 97 mins Rating: PG Genre: Thriller Tagline: The last place you’d ever expect to find yourself Starring: Sam Rockwell Directed by: Duncan Jones Company: Liberty Films UK Singapore Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing International iZone Rating: 9/10 Official Website : Moon

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