Moon (2009) dir: Duncan Jones

This film has been on my list to see for a while so when I suddenly had the opportunity to see it I was there!

Directed and co-written by Duncan Jones (with Nathan Parker), a philosopher whose graduation thesis was titled ‘How to Kill Your Computer Friend: An Investigation of the Mind/Body Problem and How It Relates to the Hypothetical Creation of a Thinking Machine’ – I knew this was going to be an intriguing story.

And I love sci-fi.

Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, a man who works for a large mining corporation, and with the breakdown of his marriage has decided to take a 3 year contract – an assignment to live and work alone on the Moon supervising an automated mining operation. As his time there comes to an end he begins to have some very unusual experiences.

I really liked the film alot, aspects of it reminded me a little of Doug Trumball’s ‘Silent Running’ (1972) – (that’s a great film check it out on DVD!) – and it’s good to see a British sci-fi movie for a change – it has an intelligent story and some great production values, the moonbase is interestingly designed and the sfx are generally good. Kevin Spacey voices the HAL like AI and Sam Rockwell does a great job as the whole film revolves around him (sorry but I can’t say how without ruining the story for you – avoid reviews before seeing the film – they’re bound to shove in some plot spoilers).

If you’re a huge sci-fi fan then the plot won’t be a complete surprise to you but you’ll still care enough to want to find out what happens and how it’ll end. If you’re not into sci-fi, don’t be put off, the human aspect of the story will carry you through.

Filed under: cinema, drama, entertainment, film, movies, sci-fi , Douglas Trumball, Duncan Jones, Kevin Spacey, Moon, Sam Rockwell, SIlent Running

The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) dir: Scott Derrikson

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Filed under: action, cinema, entertainment, film, movies, sci-fi , day the earth stood still, jennifer connolly, Keanu Reeves, scott derrikson

Blindness (2008) dir: Fernando Meirelles

It’s a shame that in the USA no one went to see this film.  Unlike ‘I Am Legend’ which was a glossy action orientated apocalyptic film (with a big star) -  ‘Blindness’ is just plain dark, grim and gritty.  A realistic portrait of how quickly humanity can fall, and the fragility of our civilization.

In a city where everyone else is going blind (a bright milky white blindness),  Julianne Moore plays one of the few who for some reason remains unaffected. When her newly blinded husband is carted off to an isolated ‘prison’, she goes with him. As the building begins to overflow with more and more quarantined, frightened and newly blinded people – it isn’t long before they begin fighting amongst themselves, wallowing around in shit and basically living in total despair.

Whilst those afflicted with this new blindness are in some ways sheltered from the full horror of their surroundings, Julianne Moore’s character can see it all.  The decay, the bodies and the filth.

I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know how faithful the film is to it, but the way many of the characters treat each other is all too believable.  There are also some impressive (and I’m guessing) non CGI created city sequences where the pockets of humanity wander hopelessly around deserted streets and smashed up cars looking for food.

So pretty bleak, but a fascinating watch with some very interesting camerawork and terrific performances from all the cast.

The ending? Hmmm.

Filed under: cinema, drama, entertainment, film, movies, sci-fi , v124, reviews, Blindness, Fernando Meirelles, Juliann Moore, Mark Ruffalo, City of God, Constant Gardener