MOON (2009)
Director Duncan Jones' debut. He clearly has a knack for pretty well-made yet stealthily low budget movies (see: SOURCE CODE).
Respectable effort here. Somewhat intriguing premise. But some odd misses for crucial emotional turns. This is a one-man character study / situation study and you just can't screw up how you deliver his evolving internal state.
* Biggest complaint (mild spoilers): After being completely isolated for almost 3 years, Sam awakens to find there's a clone of him(!!) at the base. His reaction: mild, dull confusion. And moments earlier his clone (not knowing he's a clone) finds Sam #1 near death and rescues him. Sam #2's reaction is also way too muted and internal.
Both of them should have been:
I have no clue why they chose to play it this way.
* (bigger spoiler) It's clear that the clones have a 3yr lifespan and Sam #1 discovers a long history of Sam clones hitting their expiration date, just as he's about to. But, oddly again, that realization is only half played out. And he doesn't share that info with Sam #2 who will be similarly doomed in 3yrs.
* So the writing and directing is a disappointment here. Surprising considering how well-executed Jones' follow-up SOURCE CODE was.
* The vapid THE SIXTH DAY (2000) covered some of the same philosophical / moral ground and, embarrassingly, did it better than MOON.
Director Duncan Jones' debut. He clearly has a knack for pretty well-made yet stealthily low budget movies (see: SOURCE CODE).
Respectable effort here. Somewhat intriguing premise. But some odd misses for crucial emotional turns. This is a one-man character study / situation study and you just can't screw up how you deliver his evolving internal state.
* Biggest complaint (mild spoilers): After being completely isolated for almost 3 years, Sam awakens to find there's a clone of him(!!) at the base. His reaction: mild, dull confusion. And moments earlier his clone (not knowing he's a clone) finds Sam #1 near death and rescues him. Sam #2's reaction is also way too muted and internal.
Both of them should have been:
I have no clue why they chose to play it this way.
* (bigger spoiler) It's clear that the clones have a 3yr lifespan and Sam #1 discovers a long history of Sam clones hitting their expiration date, just as he's about to. But, oddly again, that realization is only half played out. And he doesn't share that info with Sam #2 who will be similarly doomed in 3yrs.
* So the writing and directing is a disappointment here. Surprising considering how well-executed Jones' follow-up SOURCE CODE was.
* The vapid THE SIXTH DAY (2000) covered some of the same philosophical / moral ground and, embarrassingly, did it better than MOON.
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