Moon (2009) Review

MOON (2009)
Director: Duncan Jones

Writers: Duncan Jones and Nathan Parker

Producers: Trevor Beattie, Bil Bungay, Michael Henry, and Bill Zysblat

Editor: Nicholas Gaster

Cinematography: Gary Shaw

Music: Clint Mansell

Starring: Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey

Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes

Rating: R (Language)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama

Release Date: June 12, 2009 (US theater release)

Before Watching the Movie: The less you know going in, the better. This really should be your ground rule for watching sci-fi mind-benders like Moon. These types of movies are always best going in blind.

Intro: I buy a lot of DVDs I never get around to watching. Any time I see a good deal on Amazon or at a store or something on a movie I've heard good things about, I more than often buy it, which leads to an ever-growing stack of movies I own but haven't watched. This is how I picked up a copy of Moon. I remember hearing good things about it when it came out via Rotten Tomatoes, but I didn't know much about it, but this was enough to drop $4 on a copy at a used DVD store in Ohio. Anyway, I had some time yesterday and was looking for a short-ish movie to watch, so I decided to watch Moon and cross one title off my list. It turns out this was a good idea. Moon is a great sci-fi mind-bender with good special effects, a good one-man performance, and a storyline that intrigues and does what every science fiction plot should do--ask questions.

Plot: In the future, scientists have found an eco-friendly solution to the energy problem in mining Helium 3 from the dark side of the moon. The Lunar Corporation has sent Sam Bell to the moon on a 3-year contract to run the mining station, which sends the deposits to earth. Sam is all alone in space except for the station's computer named GERTIE. At the end of his 3-year contract, strange things begin to happen in the station and things soon become not what they seem.

Things people may find “objectionable”: There are some scattered uses of the f-word and a couple gruesome blood shots that are intense. Otherwise, there's no violence or nudity.

Ratings:

     -Directing/Cinematography: 9/10. The directing was very good and the shots and lighting were all very interesting. It is especially good since this was Duncan Jones' directorial debut (his only other movie to date is Source Code). The other thing that impressed me about the directing, as well as the whole production, is how cheaply the movie was made. The budget was a mere $5,000,000 compared to the $220,000,000 The Avengers had, and yet they managed to make the movie much deeper and more psychological than The Avengers.  
     -Acting: 9/10. This is as close to a one-man performance as you're going to find in a movie, and Sam Rockwell does a good job with the role. I.... God, it's really tough to critique a movie while trying not to reveal spoilers. I would elaborate more, but I really can't without revealing spoilers.
     -Writing: 23/30.

          -Story: 10/10. I loved the story, and it's what carries the movie. It's really hard to have a good science fiction film without a good story. I guess my love of science fiction is where I get my appreciation for a good story.

A really cool alternate poster. I almost
like this one better than the one they used.

          -Script: 8/10. Pretty good script that worked pretty well with the movie. While it's not an earth-shatteringly good script (like the one from Social Network for example), it works nicely and had a few good and thought-provoking lines. The line that hit me was one of the last ones that was really thought-provoking, but I'm not going to post it because it'll ruin a plot twist.

          -Characters: 5/10. The movie is more of a thinking movie to me than it is a feeling movie. While you can feel for Sam, the turn of events that takes place puts the emphasis on psychological questions and less on the character of Sam. I do not mind this choice, honestly, but some people might. I've always been more of a story person anyway.

     -Special Effects: 9/10. For an indie film, the special effects are surprisingly good. In reading up on the trivia, this is because there was a lull in moviemaking during the production during the Writer's strike, so Jones was able to get good special effects people who were looking for work.

     -Music/Score: 8/10. Though it wasn't omnipresent, the score helped ratchet up the tension every time it was used. If nothing else, it was used very effectively.

     -Power/Emotion: 7/10. The movie was more powerful in the questions it asks than the characters it develops. While you do care for Sam, the emphasis is on psychology and asking deep, powerful questions.
     -Adrenaline: 6/10. I wouldn't say Moon is a thriller of any kind, but it had enough interesting concepts and plot twists to keep you thoroughly engaged. The relationship between Sam, GERTIE, and Lunar Industries created a lot of tension as well (no spoilers here!).

     -Intelligence: 10/10. I love movies that make me think and I love a good sci-fi mind bender, and this satisfied both my loves. It starts out with an interesting concept and the story gets weirder and more mind-bending the more it unravels. It makes you think and leaves you with a lot of questions, which is exactly what a good science fiction film should do.

     -Humor: 0/10. None, really. This didn't add or take away from the movie, it just wasn't there.   

     -Final Score: Moon is my favorite kind of movie---the kind that makes me think. You've probably never heard of it until reading this review, but if you can get your hands on a copy, I highly recommend it, especially if you love mind-bending sci-fi.

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Source Code (2011) Review

SOURCE CODE (2011)
Director: Duncan Jones

Writer: Ben Ripley

Producers: Jeb Brody, Fabrice Gianfermi, and Howard Koch

Editor: Paul Hirsch

Music: Chris Bacon

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, and Michael Arden

Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (some violence, disturbing images, language)

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Romance

Release Date: April 1, 2011

Before Watching the Movie: This is a movie that is best to start watching with little to no prior knowledge. There's not a whole lot you really need to know in advance, since the movie explains it all. Since the movie's told from the perspective of Jake Gyllenhaal's character, you never really know more than he does. Because of this, it's best to no nothing going in. I'll include the plot section below, but if you want the "full experience," I suggest skipping that and the intro section.

Things people may find “objectionable”: Probably the worst moments the movie has to offer are during the explosions when it's clear the people are dying and Stevens has to watch this. There is also one use of the f-word and some violence as well. A couple people are shot, and Stevens gets into a couple fist fights throughout the course of the movie.

Intro: I really didn't know much at all about this movie when I saw it. All I knew was the very basic plot premise and that it had gotten really good reviews when it was out in theaters. It turns out that my lack of knowledge was a good thing, especially for this movie. Source Code is a movie that could have daily been terrible, but it's also one that is pulled off well very due especially to the writing, directing, and storytelling, as it's full of fun and mind-bending plot twits and is also exciting and engaging.

Plot: I'll keep this section brief so I don't ruin any of the plot twists. Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal), a US Army captain who had been serving in Afghanistan, suddenly wakes up on a train in Chicago inside the body of a man named Shawn Fentress, sitting across from a young woman named Christina (Monaghan). After trying to get accumulated to his new surroundings, the train blows up from a terrorist bomb. Stevens then wakes up in a military capsule where he finds out he's being sent into the past via a system called Source Code and his mission is to find the bomber on the train before he or she wreaks more havoc on the city of Chicago. In the meantime, he becomes attached to the train's passengers and wonders if tries to wrestle with the fact that he's connecting with them yet they're all dead in real life.

Ratings:

     -Directing/Cinematography: 9/10. Very well directed. Jones picks interesting angles and shots and also paces the film really well and does a great job at telling the story.

     -Acting: 8/10. Decent acting by the entire cast. Everyone gives a pretty solid performance in their respective roles.

     -Writing: 9.5/10.

          -Story: 10/10. The story was definitely really cool and I loved all the twists and turns it took throughout the movie. The story was easily the strongest part of the movie and it's also what made Source Code a good movie instead of a mediocre one.

          -Script: 9/10. Very good and solid script to go along with the great story. Like I mentioned before, the writing is what makes Source Code so good.

If this is what you thought Source Code was going to
be about, you're probably a programmer.

     -Special Effects: 8/10. You could tell that the special effects were not the most up-to-date, but they still work well with the movie and it's easy to find them believable.

     -Music/Score: 10/10. The movie had a very good score that fit it quite well. It was really perfect for most of the scenarios, and it reminded me of the kind of score you would get along with a 40s or 50s mystery/suspense movie. In short, I really liked the score.

     -Power/Emotion: 8/10. All the characters were pretty likable and it's easy to feel for them, especially Stevens' character, who is caught in the middle of an unsolvable problem from his point of view, since he wants to save the people so badly, but know he can't with Source Code's 8 minute limit.

     -Adrenaline: 8/10. The movie is if nothing elementally engaging from start to finish. There are also quite a few exciting scenes, as this is an
                                                                                       action movie.

     -Mind-Bendingness: 10/10. The movie was basically one mind-bending plot twist after another w. This is definitely a movie that makes you think and always keeps you surprised, and I think this is part of why I liked it so much. I definitely like movies that make you think.

     -Humor: 2/10. There were a couple funny moments, but they were few and far between. This was definitely not the point of the movie. 

     -Best Credit: James A. Woods as "Aviator Glasses Guy."

     -Final Score: Source Code is that wonderful type of movie (according to me) that blends mentally engaging sci-fi plot twists with an exciting and fast-paced action story. Its directing and especially its writing make Source Code intelligent, engaging, and highly-watchable. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes intellectual and/or mind-bending movies movies or those who love fast-paced mystery and suspense movies.

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