I went to see Moon yesterday, and have to say I was quite impressed.

I’ve heard mixed reviews about this movie, but I thought it was a refreshingly unpretentious exploration of themes that are starting to have a serious impact on our culture: corporate exploitation, depersonalization of labor, manipulation of life for our own design, the manufacturing of sentient beings, isolation and the innate need for companionship, technological ethics…

This movie does not bombard the viewer with lavish, grandiose CGI (which seems to dominate the sci-fi genre these days, often at the expense of plot), and the relative simplicity creates a kind of intimacy with the audience that has now become a rare and precious treat. I was thrilled to see various anachronistic details: old fashioned alarm clocks, 50’s pin up art tacked to the wall, 60’s TV sitcoms, the occasional 80’s pop hit. The protagonist entertains himself by whittling sculptures out of wood and growing plants in empty food containers; clearly antiquated hobbies in a time of advanced scientific accomplishment. The date on which the events transpire does not matter. How much of our distinct “humanity” will stay with us as the future marches on…and what will we sacrifice for our achievements?

Then of course, there was the film score by Clint Mansell. Enough said.

What did you guys think of Moon?