Moon: Review By moviegeek

Moon is a rare movie I knew very little about before watching it and finished with the most amount of thought from a movie since Inception. (And an even longer time before that...) What it accomplishes in a slow, mannered way is viciously interesting and infectiously provoking.

Sam Rockwell stars as Sam, a man on a lunar station in the year 2012. He is about to finish his three-year contract up there before he can return to his home on earth to reunite with his friends and family. His only companion on his lunar station is the computer GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey). Things begin to convolute when Sam sees another man arrive on his station who looks exactly like him.

Two points: I had a major disadvantage in not knowing where the movie was going, or perhaps a major advantage. I was constantly trying to jump ahead of the story to predict what the main point of the movie was. My bad, I know.

Point number two: the movie is slow. It takes its time in letting us understand the vast nothingness that space offers, especially when alone. The movie is meditative and thoughtful in its approach. It doesn't start with a crisis or a problem. In fact there isn't much of a problem or conflict until about halfway though.

Because of those two points, I found the movie to be a bit tedious in what it wanted to say. I wished it had gotten to the point quicker.

But.

Also because of those two points, I see that this movie stands on its own. It doesn't join the conglomerate pile of other sci-fi movies. It sets its own standard, its own pacing, its own methods. This is the sign of true movie-making. There are aspects added to the story that are not necessary. There are false setups. There is confusion. And as much as I hated it, I appreciate it all the more now!

For once, I can say I watched a movie where I felt like I was in the same shoes as the protagonist. He is confused. He doesn't know who or what to trust. He is in the midst of it all, yet has no clue why.

I can't decide if you should read into this movie before seeing it, or just experience it for yourself. I would go with the latter. It at times was tedious, and I can't say it grabbed me from the start. But now, having seen it, I'm anxious to sit down and watch it again and see if my appreciation can turn to affection.