Moon (2009)

Moon, directed by Duncan Jones, is a film about astronaut Sam Bell played by Sam Rockwell. Sam is coming to the end of his three year contract working on the surface of the moon harvesting resources, which help power up to 70% of the earth. With two weeks left he is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But things begin to take a turn for the worse. When Sam goes out onto the moon’s surface to collect a cache of recourses he gets into an accident and is rendered unconscious. When he awakens he is in the medical bay of his station, but being that he is the sole worker with only the aid of a highly advanced robot GERTY, voiced by Kevin Spacey, the question is, how did he get there?

This is director Duncan Jones’ debut feature film, and what a debut it is. For a man with very little prior experience it is a wonder how this man managed to create such a masterpiece on his first real attempt. There was nothing lacking in this film from the simple yet wonderful soundtrack which emphasised the emotion on screen perfectly, right through to the costume and make up which was outstanding. If this is Duncan’s debut feature film then I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us in the future.

Sam Rockwell gave an outstandingly intense performance. Sam goes through a whole host of changes during this film and each and every one has been portrayed and performed to the highest standard. This is an actor who, up until this film, has mainly been playing the supporting roles. But in Moon Sam is thrust into the spotlight and truly shines. Sam plays the vast majority of this film alone, with nothing but Kevin Spacey’s voice to accompany him. Now that is a hard job, with no other actor to read off, to take some of the pressure off but Sam comes out the other end triumphant.

I mentioned before about the costume and make up but seriously, there is not enough credit that can go to that department. The way they show Sam’s gradual decline in health is unbelievable. Towards the end he almost looks like a zombie due to him getting more and more ill. The way I measured whether or not this was effective was the fact I was cringing towards the end as Sam got progressively worse, which I believe was the desired effect. So hats off to some amazing work.

Moon is a film which deals with a variety of issues ranging from loneliness, isolation, the need for human contact right through to what it means to be human. This is by no means your average lost in space sci-fi film, it is something completely different. If you have not seen Moon yet then I cannot recommend this film highly enough and when you watch it you will know exactly what I have been talking about. 

Written by Oliver Willis  

   

Harry Brown (2009)

Harry Brown, directed by Daniel Barber, is a gritty British film about an elderly ex marine and widower Harry Brown (Michael Caine) who lives on one of London’s many rough housing estates where gang life is a constant and ever present danger. When his wife died Harry turned to his best friend Leonard Attwell (David Bradley) who expresses his fear of the gangs on the estate after he has been a target of vandalism and threats. When Harry is then informed of his best friend’s brutal murder he begins to lose hope, no friends no family, nothing left. When it becomes apparent that the police are unable to arrest the boy that initiated the attack Harry decides to take the law into his own hands. With his marine experience and nothing to lose Harry sets out to avenge his friend’s death and rid the estate of the youths who feel they can’t be touched. Who would have thought it would take an elderly man to make them fear their actions and realise everyone must be held accountable.    

Now I know people have mixed feeling about Michael Caine, that he can really only play one roll, himself. But whether or not you think that’s true it’s irrelevant for this film, for the role called for a Michael Caine performance. He was exactly who was needed for this role and to be honest, who else would have played Harry Brown, let alone to such perfection. We see two sides to Harry, one loving and caring side for his dying wife and his best friend. But when they are taken away from him we see a sudden change, the sweet old man we saw before takes a dark turn and becomes a vigilante of street justice. Michael plays this wonderfully and proves he is a 3-dimentional actor capable of playing more than one role.

The next biggest performance would be the recording artist turned actor Ben Drew aka Plan B. He plays Noel Winters, a tough youth from a London housing estate. As you can imagine, for anyone who is aware of who Plan B is, this was not too much a stretch for him to play. But in all fairness the role called for a character such as Ben Drew and so he delivered the performance that was needed.

I actually enjoyed this film, never have I routed for a murderer but Michael had me eating out of the palm of his hand. He delivers a form of justice of which could never be handed out by the law and for that he was our hero. The film was dark, gritty, grimy and everything life on a London housing estate is perceived to be. But if you think you know how this film will end then think again. The finale is something of which I did not expect and sets into motion a whole host of events which I could not have predicted. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys and action packed thriller but with a serious and meaningful storyline. Harry Brown breaks the law, but in the right way.   

Written by Oliver Willis

Act of Valour (2012) Preview

Act of Valour, directed by Scott Waugh and Mike “Mouse” McCoy, is a modern day war film like no other. When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot, a team on SEALs are dispatched on a global manhunt. As the men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of innocent civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home.

Act of Valour is a truly original take on the modern day war film. It stars active-duty Navy SEALs alongside actors.  Everything you see in this film is based on real events drawn from past experiences of the world’s most elite, highly trained and deadly soldiers.

The film boasts stunning and realistic combat sequences, tactics in use in today’s SEAL teams and up-to-the minute battlefield technology. We are seeing this operation through the eyes of the Navy SEALs, experiencing what they experienced both on and off the battlefield.

Along with the originality of using active-duty soldiers alongside actors, we also get a glimpse into the life of a Navy SEAL. We see the relationships on the field between these select few elite soldiers and the lengths they will go to serve their country and protect their fellow soldiers. We also see the strain their jobs have on their relationships at home with their families and loved ones. People have this perception of the SEALs being emotionless killers trained to do only one thing. This film challenges that by showing both the physical and emotional turmoil these brave few live with every day.

Momentum Pictures are proud to announce the UK release of Act of Valour for March 23.