Moon is a 2009 British science fiction drama film directed by Duncan Jones.^[3] The film is about a man who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Earth's moon.^[4] It was the feature debut of director Duncan Jones, son of the British rock musician David Bowie. Sam Rockwell stars as the employee Sam Bell, and Kevin Spacey voices his robot companion, GERTY. Moon premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was released in selected theatres in New York and Los Angeles on 12 June 2009. The release was expanded to additional theatres in the United States and Toronto on both 3 and 10 July^[5] and was released in the United Kingdom on 17 July.^[6]

The film was nominated for two BAFTA Awards, winning Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Jones. It also won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (defeating Academy Award for Best Picture nominees Avatar and District 9) and two British Independent Film Awards including Best British Independent Film (BIFA) winner of the 2009 award for the Best British Independent Film.^[7] It was nominated for the Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film and Best Actor for Rockwell.

Plot[link]

Lunar Industries employee Sam Bell is nearing the end of a contract to work for three years at the largely automated "Sarang" lunar base ("sarang" stands for "the morning raga" and "rainbow" in Urdu and Hindi, a "nest" in Bahasa Indonesia, and "love" in Korean^[8] and is written in hangeul on the walls of the base), with only an artificial intelligence assistant named GERTY for company. His job is to oversee the automated harvesters which extract helium-3 from the lunar regolith. He periodically sends full canisters to Earth, where the helium-3 is used to generate much-needed clean fusion energy. Chronic communications satellite problems limit him to occasional recorded messages to and from his wife Tess, who was pregnant with their daughter Eve when he left.

Two weeks before he is to return to Earth, Sam begins to hallucinate, briefly seeing a teenage girl on the station. During a routine rover excursion to retrieve a full canister from one of the harvesting machines, he sees a figure standing on the lunar surface. Distracted, he crashes his rover into the harvester and starts losing air. Sam hurriedly puts on his helmet before losing consciousness.

Sam awakens in the base infirmary, with GERTY asking if he remembers the accident which put him there. Sam does not, but GERTY assures him that this is not uncommon. Sam's suspicions are aroused when he eavesdrops on a live communication between GERTY and Lunar Industries executives and learns that GERTY has been instructed not to allow him outside the base. A message informs him that rescue team "Eliza" is on the way to repair the damaged harvester (Eliza was perhaps named after the many versions of " ELIZA, an artificial language processor, the most famous of which was took the script of a DOCTOR and produced canned psychiatric responses). Sam sabotages a gas pipe in the base to convince GERTY to allow him outside to check for "micro-meteoroid damage". He heads for the damaged harvester and finds someone barely alive in the crashed rover: himself. Sam brings the person back to the base, where GERTY identifies both him and the injured person as Sam Bell.

The two Sams struggle to come to grips with each other's existence, each believing himself to be the "real" Sam and the other to be a clone. The Sam recovered from the crash is more mellow and quiet than the Sam on the base, who is short-tempered and angry. The two argue and physically fight, and eventually the rescued Sam forces GERTY to tell him if he is a clone. They realize they are both clones after GERTY confirms as much, and that the real Sam Bell is back on Earth. GERTY also reveals that the "accident" the second Sam recovered from is simply part of the standard clone awakening process, and that their memories of Tess and Eve are implants taken from the real Sam Bell. When the first Sam crashed, GERTY awoke a new clone, leaving the previous Sam out on the lunar surface to die.

Exploring outside, the Sams find a series of antennas jamming communication with Earth. The injured Sam becomes progressively weaker, forcing him to return to base after he vomits blood and later loses a tooth. Assisted by GERTY, he discovers video logs of previous clones working and becoming increasingly ill, with symptoms such as hair loss and spontaneous bleeding. Ultimately, the clones are shown getting into what they are told is a "hibernation" pod for the journey home, but which instead incinerates them. After some searching, the two Sams find a previously unsuspected lower level, which houses an extensive cache of unawakened clones. The system could continue for years with each clone completing their contract, being incinerated and replaced with a new awakened clone. They infer that, instead of spending extensive money to train and launch new miners into space, Lunar Industries simply found a way to make clones of a man who already knew how to do it. It is never explained whether the real Sam Bell was told about the cloning plan, or if his genetic material was stolen from him covertly.

The sick Sam then takes a rover beyond the range of the signal jamming and calls home. Obscuring his videophone's camera, he is shocked when his daughter Eve, now 15 years old, answers. He learns that Tess died "some years ago". Before Eve can get her father to deal with her mysterious caller, Sam hangs up, but not before hearing his own, real voice talking in the background. He breaks down into tears.

With the "rescue" team only hours away, the Sams know that they will be killed if they are both found at the base. The healthy Sam proposes sending the sick one back to Earth in a helium delivery vessel, reasoning that he is the more deserving since he "did the three years". He gets GERTY to start awakening another clone to put in the damaged rover to take the sick Sam's place. However, the sick Sam insists that in his condition, he will die and that the healthy Sam go instead while he returns to the rover to take the place where he was supposed to die, with the third clone left to man the station when the rescue team shows up. GERTY points out that its records must be erased for the scheme to work; it gets the healthy Sam to wipe its memory by rebooting it. Before leaving, the second Sam also redirects a harvester to crash into a jammer antenna to ensure that all new clones can freely communicate with Earth and therefore become aware of their predicament. The helium-3 delivery vehicle containing the healthy Sam launches for Earth, and is seen by the sick Sam in his final moments, giving him the solace of knowing that his fellow clone has made it off the Mining Base, before he dies peacefully.

As we see the helium-3 delivery vehicle hurtle towards the Earth, Newscast voice-overs in many languages detail the consequences of Sam's return: Lunar Industries' stock price crashes following accusations of criminal activities, "Clone 6" gives testimony at a Board of Directors meeting in Seattle, while the name Sam Bell is repeated in various languages.

Cast[link]

• Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell
  • Robin Chalk as Sam Bell clone
• Kevin Spacey as the voice of GERTY
• Dominique McElligott as Tess Bell
• Kaya Scodelario as Eve Bell
• Benedict Wong as Lunar Industries' Thompson
• Matt Berry as Lunar Industries' Overmeyers
• Malcolm Stewart as 'the technician'

Production[link]

Moon is the first feature film directed by commercial director Duncan Jones, who co-wrote the script with Nathan Parker.^[9] The film was specifically written as a vehicle for actor Sam Rockwell.^[10] The film pays homage to the films of Jones' youth, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), THX 1138 (1971), Silent Running (1972), Solaris (1972), Dark Star (1974), Alien (1979), and Outland (1981).^[11] Jones described the intent: "[We] wanted to create something which felt comfortable within that canon of those science fiction films from the sort of late seventies to early eighties."^[12] The director spoke of his interest in the lunar setting: "for me, the Moon has this weird mythic nature to it... There is still a mystery to it. As a location, it bridges the gap between science-fiction and science fact. We (humankind) have been there. It is something so close and so plausible and yet at the same time, we really don't know that much about it." The director described the lack of romance in the Moon as a location, citing images from the Japanese lunar orbiter SELENE: "It's the desolation and emptiness of it... it looks like some strange ball of clay in blackness... Look at photos and you'll think that they're monochrome. In fact, they're not. There simply are no primary colours." Jones made reference to the photography book Full Moon by Michael Light in designing the look of the film.^[13]

Moon's budget was $5 million.^[1] The director took steps to minimise production costs, such as keeping the cast small and filming in a studio.^[12] Moon was produced at Shepperton Studios, in London, ^[9] where it was filmed in 33 days.^[12][4] Jones preferred using models instead of digital animation.^[11] Jones worked with Bill Pearson, the supervising model maker on Alien, to help design the lunar rovers and helium-3 harvesters in the film.^[14] The Moon base was created as a full 360-degree set, measuring 85–90 feet (26–27 m) long and approximately 70 feet (21 m) wide. The film's robot, GERTY, was designed to be bound to an overhead rail within the mining base since its mechanical tether was critical to the story's plot.^[12] The visual effects were provided by Cinesite, which has sought cut-price deals with independent films.^[15] Since Jones had an effects background with TV advertisements, he drew on his past experiences in creating special effects within a small budget.^[12]

Clint Mansell's theme can also be heard in a trailer for the 2011 film The Iron Lady.^[16]

Release[link]

Sam Rockwell and Duncan Jones at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival screening

International sales for Moon are handled by the Independent sales company.^[17] Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group acquired distribution rights to the film for English-speaking territories.^[9] Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group was considering making Moon a direct-to-DVD release; however, after Moon premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in January 2009, Sony Pictures Classics decided to handle this film's theatrical release for Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group.^[18] Sony Pictures Classics distributed the film in the United States in cinemas,^[19] beginning with screenings in selected cinemas in New York and Los Angeles on 12 June.^[5] The film's British premiere was held on 20 June 2009 at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh as part of the 63rd Edinburgh International Film Festival. Jones was present at the screening along with other key crew members. The full UK release was on 17 July.^[6] The Australian release was on 8 October.^[20]

Box office[link]

Moon grossed £700,394 from its domestic release,^[21] $3,370,366 from its North American release and $9,760,104 worldwide.^[2]

Critical reception[link]

The film currently holds an 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 173 reviews,^[22] and holds an 8.0 rating on the IMDb, ranking in the 'Top Rated "Sci-Fi" Titles'.^[23] Moon received positive reviews at the Sundance Film Festival.^[24]

Damon Wise of The Times praised Jones' "thoughtful" direction and Rockwell's "poignant" performance. Wise wrote of the film's approach to the science fiction genre: "Though it uses impressive sci-fi trappings to tell its story—the fabulous models and moonscapes are recognisably retro yet surprisingly real—this is a film about what it means, and takes, to be human."^[25] Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter applauded screenwriter Nathan Parker's “sharp [and] individualistic” dialogue and the way in which Parker combined science fiction and Big Brother themes. Byrge also believed that cinematographer Gary Shaw's work and composer Clint Mansell's music intensified the drama. Byrge wrote: “Nonetheless, "Moon" is darkened by its own excellencies: The white, claustrophobic look is apt and moody, but a lack of physical action enervates the story thrust.” The critic felt mixed about the star's performance, describing him as “adept at limning his character's dissolution” but finding that he did not have “the audacious, dominant edge” for the major confrontation at the end of the film.^[26]

Empire magazine praised Rockwell's performance, including it in '10 Egregious Oscar Snubs - The worthy contenders that the Academy overlooked' feature and referred to his performance as "one... of the best performances of the year".^[27]

Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, saying: “"Moon" is a superior example of that threatened genre, hard science-fiction, which is often about the interface between humans and alien intelligence of one kind of or other, including digital. John W. Campbell Jr., the godfather of this genre, would have approved. The movie is really all about ideas. It only seems to be about emotions. How real are our emotions, anyway? How real are we? Someday I will die. This laptop I'm using is patient and can wait.”^[28]

Reception from the scientific community[link]

Moon was screened as part of a lecture series at NASA's Space Center Houston, at the request of a professor there. “He'd been reading online that we'd done this film about Helium-3 mining and that's something that people at NASA are working on”, says Jones. “We did a Q&A afterward. They asked me why the base looked so sturdy, like a bunker, and not like the kind of stuff they are designing that they are going to transport with them. I said "Well, in the future I assume you won't want to continue carrying everything with you, you'll want to use the resources on the moon to build things" and a woman in the audience raised her hand and said, "I'm actually working on something called Mooncrete, which is concrete that mixes lunar regolith and ice water from the moon's polar caps."”^[29]

Accolades[link]

BAFTA Awards 2010

• Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film - nominated
• Carl Foreman award for special achievement by a British director, writer or producer in their first feature film

British Independent Film Awards 2009

• Best British Independent Film
• Douglas Hickox Award for Duncan Jones
• Best Actor nomination for Sam Rockwell (nomination)
• Best Director nomination for Duncan Jones (nomination)
• Best Screenplay nomination for Nathan Parker (nomination)
• Technical Achievement, Original Score nomination for Clint Mansell (nomination)
• Technical Achievement, Production Design nomination for Tony Noble (nomination)

Chlotrudis Awards 2010

• Best Actor nomination for Sam Rockwell (nomination)
• Best Production (nomination)

Fantastic'Arts 2010

• Special Prize
• Critics' Prize

Hugo Awards 2010

• Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

Sequels[link]

Jones is planning a follow-up graphic novel, titled Mute, which will serve as an epilogue to Moon. Should the project progress to a film, "Sam has agreed to do a little cameo in the next film", says Jones, who ultimately hopes to complete a trilogy of films set in the same fictional universe.^[29][30]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Moon at the Internet Movie Database
• Moon at AllRovi
• Moon at Box Office Mojo
• Moon at Rotten Tomatoes
• Moon at Metacritic

	Film portal
	Moon portal
	Space portal