Moon

Well, I'm a little late on this post, seeing as the Academy Award Nominations were announced over two weeks ago. Nevertheless, since I consider myself to be a film buff, I feel obligated to talk about Moon. For those of you who haven't seen the film, here is a brief summary, courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes:

It is the near future. Astronaut Sam Bell is living on the far side of the moon, completing a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to mine Earth’s primary source of energy, Helium-3. It is a lonely job, made harder by a broken satellite that allows no live communications home. Taped messages are all Sam can send and receive. Thankfully, his time on the moon is nearly over, and Sam will be reunited with his wife, Tess, and their three-year-old daughter, Eve, in only a few short weeks. Finally, he will leave the isolation of “Sarang,” the moon base that has been his home for so long, and he will finally have someone to talk to beyond “Gerty,” the base’s well-intentioned, but rather uncomplicated computer. Suddenly, Sam’s health starts to deteriorate. Painful headaches, hallucinations and a lack of focus lead to an almost fatal accident on a routine drive on the moon in a lunar rover. While recuperating back at the base (with no memory of how he got there), Sam meets a younger, angrier version of himself, who claims to be there to fulfill the same three year contract Sam started all those years ago.--© Sony Pictures Classics

I would summarize it myself, but I fear that my version would inevitably reveal too much of the plot...

Now, the reason this film has become a "hot topic" on movie blogs and review sites is because it was gypped. It did not receive a single Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, if you haven't seen the film, you probably don't understand why this is a big deal. To channel my inner-child's sci-fi obsession: the film was awesome! Not only was Moon intellectually stimulating (unlike Avatar, which was nominated for nine Academy Awards), but it also paid homage to a slew of sci-fi films. One of the most obvious "head nods" was to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Everything, from the plain white space station to the monotonous voice of Kevin Spacey as Gerty (the robot), was reminiscent of a time when science fiction was more than CGI and the ever so important "wow" factor (e.g. explosions). On top of that, Moon also showcased Sam Rockwell's talent and unique style as an actor; and for that reason in particular, I felt that this movie deserved some love.

Sadly, the Oscar nominations have been finalized for 18 days now. So, all I can say to you, the reader, is to spread the word about this movie.