Moon

Really good science fiction is hard to do. It's hard to write. It's even harder to turn into a film, despite the abundance of computer generated special effects and the fact that we, the audience, seem to take CG totally for granted now. A huge studio budget and fantastical special effects may make a summer blockbuster, but are not a guarantee of even crappy science fiction. Science fiction requires story - one that is plausible or even possible, and that completely suspends your disbelief. Duncan Jones took an itty bitty budget and with the help of two fabulous actors, turned out some damn fine sci-fi in Moon.

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is in the final days of a three year stint alone on the far side of the moon. Literally. Working as a contractor for a private company mining the moon surface for He3, he maintains the rigs, sends reports and talks to his ever too cheerful computer, Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey.) A failed satellite means he has only recorded messages from home, and when increasing headaches and some visual hallucinations lead to a serious accident, Sam discovers that there is something wrong on the moon. And he's not alone at all.

Sam Rockwell manages to carry this film with only himself, some sets and the vocal talents of Kevin to help, and manages to carry it quite well. It doesn't take fancy CG to convey a sparse space station, or the creepiness of total isolation. It does take more than a little talent to demonstrate a range of very human emotion when you have no one at all to play against except yourself and all that isolation. And the story is full of things that seems possible, if horribly so.
Enjoy this little gem when you need to be reminded of how lucky you are. Excellent website here.

Hart's War

So my hubby has decided to try Netflix and made a bit of a booboo by putting in his preferences. Anyone who has followed this blog knows that my dear one is not known for his stellar taste in film. Most of his selections for our viewing pleasure failed my personal three point criteria for movies he's allowed to bring home (have you ever heard of it ? does it contain at least one recognizable actor? is it NOT a Western?) That being said I conceded to Hart's War, largely because I recognized Bruce and Colin, although I could not remember ever hearing of the film and despite the fact that it's a WW2 story, which is only slightly better than a Western.

Lt. Tom Hart (Colin Farrell) is a senators son and doing the light duty when a bit of bad luck lands him in the hands of the Germans. The ranking officer at the stalag is Col. McNamara (Bruce Willis) who's disdain for Hart is only slightly less obvious than his hatred of the stalag commandant. When two black aviators arrive at the stalag - officers who happen to be black men - McNamara begins a twisted game of cat and mouse, playing on the racial prejudice of Americans and Germans alike. A white prisoner is murdered, a black man accused and Hart assigned to defend him in a kangaroo court martial. It's unclear just who is the enemy.

Okay. So Bruce is Bruce and this isn't Oscar material. But the story is decently constructed, there are lots of interesting twists and a solid supporting cast. As usual Farrell can act more with a facial expression than most actors can in their dreams. And the subplot - that Americans can be so racist that even in a POW camp complete with evil guards with guns they manage to be haters - is a little sad because it's still so true. All in all, not a bad evenings entertainment. (Thanks, Honey.) Another review here.