Sam Rockwell plays a lone crew member of a mining platform on the moon. At the start of the film, he has two weeks left in his contract before he is free to see his family back on earth. As events unfold, we see his nearly every reason for living is a lie.
Save for his robotical companion voiced by Kevin Spacey, Rockwell is the only true actor on screen for about 98% of Moon. This is not a slipshod move. Moon is an emotional rollercoaster and Rockwell will hold the viewer's hand to times of laughter and tears, just as Jones intended. He proves time and again that he can act better than most. It won't likely happen with Moon, but mark this reviewer's text, Sam Rockwell will win an Oscar before his career in acting is done.
What's interesting is this movie really could have taken place anywhere. Being that a one-man moon base with a view of Earth is probably the lonliest place a person could go, it gives the ideal setting. That said, the graphics of Moon aren't phenomenal; the moon-base Sarang looks very futuristic and iPod'ish, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before (think 2001: A Space Odyssey). The lunar surface is pretty cool, but not believeable. Again, it's Rockwell's performance that will convey the sad and lonely theme Moon aimed for. This is aided, however, by the music. Clint Mansell created some of the most morose tunes for this movie that have ever been put on a reel. This isn't surprising, he did The Wrestler, The Fountain and Requiem for a Dream. Perhaps Jones will use him in the future just as Aronovsky repeatedley has.
This is NOT a feel good movie. It is however a very good movie that will have you counting your blessings when the credits begin to roll, unless of course you begin to question if those blessings are truly what they seem to be.
9/10
