vWv124's Tiny Beam of Light

This film has been on my list to see for a while so when I suddenly had the opportunity to see it I was there!

Directed and co-written by Duncan Jones (with Nathan Parker), a philosopher whose graduation thesis was titled ‘How to Kill Your Computer Friend: An Investigation of the Mind/Body Problem and How It Relates to the Hypothetical Creation of a Thinking Machine’ – I knew this was going to be an intriguing story.

And I love sci-fi.

Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, a man who works for a large mining corporation, and with the breakdown of his marriage has decided to take a 3 year contract – an assignment to live and work alone on the Moon supervising an automated mining operation. As his time there comes to an end he begins to have some very unusual experiences.

I really liked the film alot, aspects of it reminded me a little of Doug Trumball’s ‘Silent Running’ (1972) – (that’s a great film check it out on DVD!) – and it’s good to see a British sci-fi movie for a change – it has an intelligent story and some great production values, the moonbase is interestingly designed and the sfx are generally good. Kevin Spacey voices the HAL like AI and Sam Rockwell does a great job as the whole film revolves around him (sorry but I can’t say how without ruining the story for you – avoid reviews before seeing the film – they’re bound to shove in some plot spoilers).

If you’re a huge sci-fi fan then the plot won’t be a complete surprise to you but you’ll still care enough to want to find out what happens and how it’ll end. If you’re not into sci-fi, don’t be put off, the human aspect of the story will carry you through.