Moon.

I have decided to put reviews in their own posts now.

I have been hearing hype about Moon all Summer, so I had ridiculously high expectations of it entering the cinema. In a bizarre twist based on movie offerings so far this year, they were matched, if not exceeded. In itself it is a brilliant film, but it is even more impressive to know that it is the first film from director Duncan Jones. The plot is very intriguing. I'm not sure if certain revelations could be described as a twist, as they are slowly revealed throughout the whole film; to me a twist is a change of tone or plot which comes as a sudden punch in the face. This film certainly does not do that.
The acting is excellent; Sam Rockwell is pretty much the only main character; there is Kevin Spacey voicing a computer, meaning there is little/no emotion, and a small handful of supporting cast. Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, nearing the end of his three year post on the moon harvesting Helium 3, used as a new energy source. Understandably, he has become not crazy, but a little odd, talking to his plants, and such. The relief of going home soon is acted very well, all emotions being conveyed through subtle, realistic expressions rather than over-blown, dramatic theatrics. When strange things start happening, it is assumed he has started to crack up. What happens from this point on would give away most of the film, so I'll stop here.
The general tone, along with the effects, give it the feel of the old sci-fi classics; I cannot recall a sci-fi from the past little while without a laser shootout or spacecrafts whizzing around. Effects on the Moon's surface are achieved through miniatures, as opposed to CGI, giving it a more real, imperfect appearance. Nonetheless, this does not make it feel out-dated nor does it drag like 2001; the storyline is far more up-to-date, taking in various topics of debate, and the plot is constantly being played through the relatively short 97 minutes, meaning I was never bored, checking my watch.
Lastly, this is a budget movie, being made on $5 million. For a sci-fi, that is very low. More money could have achieved better CGI in the handful of scenes where CGI is used, but very little could have been made better; the lack of spectacle has meant that Duncan Jones has focused on plot and most importantly character development. It is hard to comment on the character development beyond saying it is conveyed very well by the director and Sam Rockwell, as doing so will create huge spoilers.
To sum up, this film is a fresh take on the classic philosophical sci-fi movies; the sort of film that many would have expected to never have been made again. A fantastic debut from a director I can't wait to see more from. 10/10.