Moon by Duncan Jones

I come to you today, not with a new film due to the fact that I have been injured and bed ridden so have not been able to keep up with all the new releases, so I come to you today with a film that was released last year but got severely overlooked. I am of course talking about Duncan Jones debut feature film Moon, starring the unbelievable Sam Rockwell in a tour De force performance.

The film is basic in it's premise, what happens when a clone is awakened to the fact that it is a clone, is it its own person or do we have the power to manipulate them to do whatever we want. From this idea, Jones (who I should say right here is THE DAVID BOWIE'S son, but don't let that distract you from the greatness on offer in this film) extrapolates all sorts of issues and emotions that are both revelatory and confronting for the viewer. To give too much away of the film is to do you the viewer who hasn't seen it and great disservice. Know that I have watched this film I think at least five times in the past year, twice at the cinema and at least three times on DVD (that's right I am not upgraded to blue ray, yet. My friend Ben gives me grief about it all the time, so it will be soon.) And each time the film has left me emotionally exhausted, it really hits you right in the gut.

Duncan Jones doesn't put a foot wrong with every aspect of this film. It has a enough familiar sci fi genre conventions to make this film feel comfortable but at the same time there is a whole world (or should I say moon? I'm sorry, I know, I know a bad dad joke) of new ideas and experiences on offer to allow you fresh insight.

Sam Rockwell (I can't rave about this guy enough, those of you who haven't checked out Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, do yourself a favour hire it and love it. And love his performance in it.) is truly stunning in the duel roles of Sam Bell and Sam Bell. On a purely technical level there was never a point where I thought they weren't both in the room. But emotionally Rockwell knows exactly how to draw a viewer into the world and know the right point to show the cracks in the person that left this viewer flawed. He is mesmerizing and heart breaking all at the same time. What left me more flawed is that this film, let alone Rockwell's performance were left out of the running at the end of year awards. In my mind his performance was the best of the year.

The films is also strongly aided by a rich and atmospheric score that has just the right amount of emotional sting to it by Clint Mansell. Mansell was also responsible for Requiem For A Dream and The Fountain, two of my favourite scores (both are on high rotation in my Itunes along with the Moon score now) but this time he is working alone and he nails it.

Go and buy this film because all I can tells ya is that it is a film that is more satisfying on the fifth viewing.

Thank you to all of those involved.