My name it is Sam Hall, Sam Hall
-English folk song, voiced by Johnny Cash in my head all eveningHey, you want to play Ping-Pong?
-Sam Bell, in Moon
This afternoon I went over to the Darkside to watch Moon. Having heard 2001: A Space Odyssey meets The Twilight Zone, with the son of Ziggy Stardust at the helm, I was floating some pretty high expectations for this flick. It soared above and beyond.
Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, the lone employee posted to a corporate lunar mine (or is he?), just two weeks from completing his three-year contract and returning home (but will he?) The voice of Kevin Spacey plays the emoticon-happy space-station computer, GERTY, a fabulous send-up of HAL 9000 that I can’t believe they pulled off so well.
Moon has got itself some serious atmosphere. Poignant desolation and nostalgia. (I totally cried!) But also charming workplace humor and situation comedy. (I totally chuckled!) Did I mention mystery? It’s got that. Existential Ping-Pong, too. Ooh, plus stickin’ it to the Man!
The production design is gorgeous, and the sets chock full of fascinating details. It’s an outer space future that is gritty, industrial, retro, and utterly convincing. Okay, I want to go again now. But perhaps with a friend this time.
****
I love to read your reviews, whether movies or books. Great analytical insight and admirable language.
I’m convinced. Your write-up, the trailer, and the NYT review have me pumped. Now if I can ever get all three men herded together at the same time, we have a long list ~ the new HP (not yet seen by Steve or me), the newest Star Trek (none of us have seen it), Up (ditto), and now this. Sigh.
On the bright side, Steve has become a Netflix junkie and is even streaming films via Roku. Thanks to which, we’ve watched the Harry Potter films in order, 1 – 4 in a 48 hour period, gearing up for the new one.
Thanks for the recommendation.