Science-fiction isn’t all about space battles, lightsabers and really tall Smurfs. Occasionally, filmmakers can utilize futuristic settings to tell fascinating stories of personal struggle.
Such is the case with “Moon,” a haunting indie sci-fi starring Sam Rockwell as the sole astronaut working a three-year stint on a remote moon base. This is Rockwell’s show, with only small roles reserved for other humans. Kevin Spacey provides the nurturing voice of the base’s computer system.
Don’t you dare watch the theatrical trailer or read the film’s synopsis.The less known about the twists and turns in “Moon,” the better.
The essential info: Rockwell’s character is only days away from returning home to Earth. When he crashes his lunar rover on a routine assignment, he discovers something completely mind-blowing.
Directed with a sure hand by Duncan Jones, “Moon” lacks the requisite action sequences of flashier sci-fi tales, but the script remains stuffed with tension, especially as the lonely astronaut discovers the secrets of his lunar home. The terrific performance by Rockwell makes you forget he’s the only one onscreen for 90+ minutes.
Taking on nothing less than the significance of human existence, “Moon” stays with the viewer not because of revolutionary special effects, but because of thoughtful, exhilarating storytelling. Please, please, please, don’t read any else about it. Just see it.
Online pick of the week: “Big Fan”
Just in time for the Super Bowl, the dark comedy “Big Fan” explores the strange, somewhat disturbing world of sports uber-fandom.
Comedian Patton Oswalt (the voice of Remy in “Ratatouille”) stars as Paul, a mega-fan New York Giants fan who lives with his mother and stays up all night calling sports talk radio shows. He prepares his stinging commentary while working his dead-end job as a parking lot attendant. Paul and his friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan) head out to the stadium for every home game, but they’re too poor to buy tickets. Instead, they watch from an archaic TV from the parking lot.
The film takes a sensitive look at characters most would consider to be going-nowhere man-children. To Paul and Sal, the Giants are so much more than a hobby. Football is practically their only reason for living. They have no time for families, satisfying jobs or conversations about anything other than sports.
Even after a violent run-in with one of his favorite players, Paul considers passing on millions of dollars in settlement money so that the starting QB can avoid suspension and play the big game. Paul is obviously bonkers, but Oswalt manages to make the character believable and sympathetic.
“Big Fan” loses momentum in the third act when Paul embarks on a mission that feels uncharacteristic of his character. Director Robert D. Siegel also amplifies this plot development with too much unnecessary misdirection. Still, “Big Fan” is a quiet little character study about a peculiar American subculture.
“Big Fan” is available for instant viewing for all Netflix subscribers.
Avoid like the plague: “Jennifer’s Body”
Screenwriter Diablo Cody’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning “Juno” is a cutesy horror-comedy that lacks both legitimate scares and laughs.
Megan Fox stars as a teenage hottie-turned-demonic boy-eater who begins to terrorize her former best friend (“Mamma Mia!” star Amanda Seyfried). In one scene they kiss each other, then a few minutes later, they try to stab each other with really big knives.
That clever, pop culture-infused dialogue of “Juno” makes a return appearance here, only it doesn’t really fit the tone of this film. Fox brings almost nothing to the role, and the whole demon thing really hinders her sex appeal.
Bottom line: Stay away.
First appeared in The Coeur d’Alene Press.