Reviewed by Melissa Garza
“Gerty, am I a clone?” – Sam Bell
Lunar Industries has become a salvation for humankind. They discovered a compound known as He3 which can be harvested and used to supply energy for most of humanity. This compound is found on the moon, so to obtain it they send astronauts on 3 year missions to obtain it. Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is the latest of these astronauts. As the film opens he’s on the last two weeks of his mission.
Sam is anxious to return home and lives on short messages from his wife and young daughter to get him through. He talks to himself quite often. His only companion is a robot known as Gerty (Kevin Spacey) who has become a best friend of sorts. Though Gerty is programmed to help Sam, there does seem to be elements of humanity in him where he goes out of his way to assist his friend.
Soon, strange things begin to happen. While out harvesting He3, he believes he sees someone. When he awakes he is told he was in an accident and is kept in an infirmary. His legs are wobbly and he can barely stand. As he finally gets his strength to walk the spaceship, he finds Gerty talking to the heads of Lunar Industries via a live-feed television They tell him he is much too sick to leave the ship and must stay confined within. He becomes quickly restless. He punctures a hole in a valve and convinces Gerty to let him outside to ensure that during the temporary breakdown no damage had been done to the exterior. Gerty reluctantly agrees promising to keep the disobeyed orders between the two of them.
Once outside, he comes across a crashed lunar vehicle and finds another astronaut. He quickly brings him inside the ship and takes his helmet off to reveal that he’s identical to Sam. He demands to know who he is and Gerty reluctantly tells him, that he too is Sam Bell.
The two get to know each other and are both confused by the other’s existence. They share the same memories and though Sam 1 isn’t quick to befriend Sam 2, they do share a strong bond that grows. Sam 1 realizes that both he and Sam 2 must be clones that Lunar Industries uses to harvest. Sam 2 is reluctant to believe and states emphatically that they couldn’t hide anything of that magnitude. He quickly confronts Gerty with the hopes of having confirmation that he truly was Sam Bell. When Gerty won’t answer whether he’s a clone or not, Sam 2 has to accept the obvious.
Quickly, the health of Sam 1 deteriorates as the ramifications of working with such toxic chemicals take their toll. Both Sam 1 and 2 work together to get to the bottom of what’s going on and the sinister nature of Lunar Industries.
The movie starts off slow but is necessary to build the story. Sam Rockwell, as always does a marvelous job. Ever since I saw him portray Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, I was taken by his amazing acting ability and talent for making the outlandish seem logical and believable. He always delivers and never seizes to impress. As Sam Bell he had a difficult job of essentially individualizing two characters and to place a spotlight on their distinctness, all the while keeping their identical nature as clones realistic. It was an impossible feat that he perfected. Each were sympathizing characters and as one grew ill and the other took control of the situation, they never lost their likeness or their uniqueness to one another.
Sam Rockwell has done everything from the major mainstream like Iron Man 2 and Frost/Nixon to lesser known gems. He is one of the most versatile actors and one who should be utilized more frequently.
“Moon” is definitely a sci-fi thriller worth watching. Rockwell ensures that it never loses the emotionality and ensures that the audience remains on his side. The conclusion beckons the question of does the end result of clean energy and better living for society justify the means and the sacrifice. Though the social and political messages are clear, one is not bombarded with a message that outshines the plot. Once again, a testimony to Rockwell for ensuring the film centers on the clones and their battle to find out the truth.
Overall Rating: 7/10