MOON

Fly me to the moon, and let me play amongst the stars…Moon is good, not great, good. I saw it last week with a buddy at the Angelika in Dallas. Had never been there before, but it seemed like the movie theater that “the cool movie kids” go to. That’s beside the point. Moon has everything that movie aficionados and indie freaks are looking for: top quality acting, solid skilled directing, and it's particularly well written. It even throws in a little action here and there to keep it exciting. I truly believe that this movie is best viewed with absolutely no information about the plot or characters, so I’ll limit the review to just my own personal opinions about the film’s attributes. Rockwell and Spacey give terrific performances. I would not be surprised to see accolades coming both their ways next winter. The directing is also top notch; the shots are well composed and every frame is kept interesting despite the limited nature of the environment (it all takes place on the dark side of the moon, okay, sorry, that’s all I’ll say about the story). But where this movie really succeeds is in the writing. The story moves at just the right pace to keep you interested, while revealing just enough to keep the plot going. Moreover, the character development is superb. Throughout the film, you get the feeling that you are seeing every single personality and emotional aspect of Rockwell’s character, exhibited in the most intriguing way (you’ll have to watch it to understand what I’m saying). Spacey’s portrayal of Gerty, Rockwell’s computer system and moon bound companion (I know, I know, that’s all I’ll say), gives off an eerie sense of compassion that no machine should ever possess. I’ve already read and heard too many comparison’s to 2001’s (and 2010’s) HAL, so I’ll avoid that cliché, but that doesn’t make it not true. All in all, I would recommend this as a date movie, believe it or not. It’s interesting and intellectual and evokes a lot of emotion. Both you and you’re sweetie will be nice and entertained and have plenty to talk about once the projector rolls out.