Moon by Walker Griffy

So today I'm going to post an article written by a friend of mine, Walker Griffy. Walker's mainly going to be writing here because he's handsome, but hopefully literate as well. I met Walker originally during a screenwriting course at UCLA when we were 16 or so. It was magic. Walker's still in LA and currently working on his first novel. He's totally looking for some help from people in the publishing world, so if you're on or you know one, hit one of us up or comment. When Walker discusses my optimism in this introduction below, I think he refers to my liking Transformers, for which I'll post an article this coming week.



Hello. My name is Walker Griffy and you probably shouldn’t listen to anything I say. I am 24 years old, I live in Los Angeles, and am currently doing what most Liberal Arts graduates do, working in retail. When I’m not, I am a writer, though only by practice, not by trade. I have a love/hate relationship with both the world of movies and Los Angeles, originally coming out here to write screenplays, and quickly becoming disheartened. I’d classify myself as an appreciator, a critic, and a watcher of films, though I am much more judgmental than Sean. Hopefully, I’ll be able to bring a pessimistic viewpoint to this site, as well as give a little insight on how literature affects the things you see on the big screen, and how most good writers are getting away with making you think they’re good. Overall, I’m here to question authenticity, even yours. That is, if you’re even real.

Moon is the story of Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), the sole employee of the Lunar energy company that is currently harvesting fusion energy from the surface of the moon. It is immediately told to the audience, with no sense of foreshadowing (yet) that he is under a three-year contract, and that he is alone. That is, he is the lone human. He is accompanied by the very friendly GERTY, a robot we find extremely comforting, even before you realize it’s voiced by Kevin Spacey. There might as well be a box with a hole cut out to see his quirky smile underneath—great casting.

Before I talk about the story, which is what I am most interested in, I want to point out that this is, despite being a simplified tale in terms of number of actors (really, only 1) and locations (really, only 2), no small directorial undertaking. Duncan Jones, who only has his 2002 directorial debut, Whistle, under his belt, had to believably tread a well-known territory as well as one that, surprisingly, is rarely visited in cinema. The former being a spaceship/spacestation setting (think 2001, Sunshine, Event Horizon) and the latter being the moon. Given a budget of under 5 million dollars, the way it wass shot is incredibly beautiful as well as complementary to the story itself. The cinematography (DP Gary Shaw) is worthy of the bold, one-word title. It will certainly hold up to any space geek’s scrutiny, while astounding those who know little of space. It seems an extensive soundstage from the future.

I’ll start by discussing the way the setting and cinematography set up one of the basic tenets of the film—isolation. Regardless of camera positioning, the base where Sam Bell lives and works is small, showing no need for anyone but himself. The presence of GERTY, his assistance robot, only adds to this, as his “facial display” is a generic smiley face that changes to sad, very happy, confused, even crying. It is an oversimplification of the human experience, and one that is necessary in order to exist, even to merely survive.

Human interaction is entirely through video feed, photographs, and, more complex, dreams. Outside the base, it is isolation in a much more blatant form, the surface of the moon presenting a cold and desolate place with no sign of warmth and no sign of life. Isolation begins to play tricks on Sam, as it would on anyone, because it is not natural. No matter how well one can cope with loneliness or lack of human contact, we are meant to be near others.

When Sam begins to see things, mainly other people, it becomes more than a way of coping with his own loneliness. SPOILER ALERT: After he crashes his car, Sam awakens back in the base with no signs of injury, under strict guidance from GERTY to undergo some tests and strict instructions not to go outside. He eventually does go outside, goes back to the wrecked car, and seemingly rescues himself.

The two Sams eventually discover what is behind their joint existence, which moves the stark portrayal of isolation into much more questionable territory; primarily, what exactly is awareness? Is it something that can be written into us or is it something we have to gain through experience? The more Sam learns, the more he doubts everything he has assumed to be true, and those assumptions were based on knowledge, not from an outside source, but from his own mind.

The film is not only beautiful, but extremely provocative both emotionally and psychologically. This comes from the fact that it is not only a science-fiction setting, but uses science-fiction throughout the film to question the dangers of our increasing scientific abilities. I don’t say this as some fantastic revelation, as many science-fiction films do the same thing, but Moon, I think, does it particularly well.

There is a fairly big twist, depending on how talented you are at picking up on the foreshadowing, which restricts me from discussing much of the specifics in these dangers of modern technology. So, before I say too much, I’ll let you go and see it and make up your own mind. However, with all these things to think about, and the incredibly beautiful cinematography taking up your attention, do not let Sam Rockwell’s performance go unnoticed.

Most likely, this sci-fi gem will slip by when award season comes around, and that’s too bad because it is a serious film that should be taken seriously, and Sam Rockwell gives a serious performance, both hilarious and tragic, and does an overall terrific job with a very difficult film that is based almost entirely on his reactions to himself, and otherwise inanimate objects.

So is this film life-changing? Does it redefine the genre? Is it a visual pioneer, showcasing techniques and lighting we’ve never seen? No, to all those and similar questions. But it’s fun, sad, and an overall significant sophomore creation from Duncan Jones. Between this and another favorite of mine, Sunshine, we are seeing an original American (and Japanese) genre being hijacked by the British, and I, for one, am glad.