Sci-fi flicks dominate summer cinema

by Willie Krischke

Playing at the Abbey this week is “Moon,” which is set somewhere in the near future, when almost all of the energy used on Earth is mined from the moon by a series of machines and one lonely man. That man is Sam Rockwell, who is employed for three years to keep the machines running and make sure everything is hunky dory. It doesn’t seem like too difficult a job, and he does his best to keep sane by exercising regularly, and talking to his garden. But then he starts seeing things, which leads to a terrible accident, which leads to a series of revelations that call into question who he is, how long he’s been on the moon, and whether he’ll ever be able to return home. “Moon” unfolds like a solid mystery thriller, which means I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot - a good chunk of the enjoyment of this film is watching the big picture slowly unfold - terribly, inevitably.

This is definitely one flick to skip if you don’t like Sam Rockwell. His is the only name on the movie poster, and for good reason - he’s onscreen about 97 percent of the time, and quite often there’s two of him up there at once. Personally, I think he’s one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. Most acting is reacting to others, and in “Moon,” Rockwell has no one to react to — it’s quite a challenge. He rises to the occasion with incredible aplomb and commitment, convincingly portraying not only a wide range of emotions, but, in fact, two different characters. I never confused the two – I don’t think Will Smith could’ve pulled that off.

“Moon” is a throwback to sci-fi thinkpieces of the ‘70s; the debts it owes to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” would rival the national deficit. The setpieces have that same sterile, white plastic look, as well as the same feeling of creeping dread. It would be some kind of miracle for a guy not to go a little insane in these surroundings. Rockwell’s one companion - the robot Gerty, voiced by Kevin Spacey - is clearly a scaled down version of HAL, with a few of the bugs worked out. But it’s also a throwback thematically to a different era. This is “hard” sci fi, meaning it’s more interested in ethical questions than scientific ones. Writer/director Duncan Jones follows in the footsteps of sci fi greats like Asimov and Heinlein, who recognized that new technology not only presents new possibilities, it presents new ethical quandaries as well. There are no killer alien robots in “Moon” - only a man, a moon, and a distant home. It’s enough.

On the other side of the sci fi spectrum is “District 9,” which opened at the Storyteller 9 last weekend. Where “Moon” is a throwback to a different era, “9” forges new ground in the world of sci fi. Aliens have arrived on Earth, but not to invade; they are a sorry bunch, emaciated and disorganized. It looks like they lost a war somewhere, and more crashed into, than invaded Earth. They take up residence in a slum outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, until the people there grow afraid of them and insist they be relocated to a refugee “camp” further from town. A multinational corporation –the kind that supplies “logistical support” to wars in the Middle East —–is called in to handle the relocation, and Sharlto Copley, a bumbling middle management guy who should never be allowed more than 6 feet away from his desk, is put in charge of the gargantuan, complicated, and terribly dangerous project. Alas, he had the good fortune of marrying the boss’ daughter. He’s in way over his head – knocking on alien slum doors and trying to get them to sign eviction notices – and manages to spray himself with some black stuff that changes him slowly into an alien. Now he has real problems on his hands.

What’s most surprising about all this is just how seriously writer/director Neill Blomkamp takes it all. “District 9” takes a page from Paul Greengrass’ action notebook, opting for shaky, handheld camerawork and a documentary style (including fake interviews) that works for the first 20 minutes but gets increasingly tiresome as the action overcomes the social commentary. There are jokes in “District 9” – it really ought to be both funny and disturbing how bad Copley is at his job—but the tone is so heavy and serious, you’re unlikely to realize they were jokes until you leave the theater.

There are a lot of great ideas in “District 9.” I think it’s the most original sci fi movie I’ve seen since “Children of Men.” It has a lot to say about the way we tend to treat outsiders, and the South African location is clearly a reference to apartheid. It’s telling that once our hero is part alien (I almost said “infected,” but that’s racist too, isn’t it?) the multinational company that owns him is more interested in his DNA and its commercial potential than in his health or well-being. Apparently once you’re part alien, you’ve lost all your rights. I was reminded of this country’s policy in the 19th century of considering anyone with a drop of African American blood as a Negro, and thus denying them rights to which “white folk” were entitled to.

In the end, though, “District 9” left me wishing a steadier hand had been at the wheel. Neill Blomkamp directs from his own script, and it’s his directorial debut, and apparently the first time he’s been in the vicinity of a camera (his previous credits involve mostly animation work.). He resembles his hero, bumbling through a complicated project and generally making a mess of things. “District 9” is definitely worth seeing, but I can’t escape the feeling that it could have been a whole lot better. •