Sam Rockwell Yelling in Space...AWESOME

The Tribeca Film Festival has ended. Although not majorily excited about this years line up, I was able to see the one film that I had been excited for ever since I heard the first Sundance buzz, Duncan Jones' 'Moon' starring Sam Rockwell. I had read a lot of positive reviews and I was not gonna miss the first showing in New York. Naturally I went in with very high expectations.....and I was not let down. This movie is fucking incredible....I would go so far as saying that this is my favorite film of 2009 (Public Enemies has to be amazing if it wants to compete with this film.) This being the first showing during the TFF, the audience was treated to a Q and A after the film which featured Duncan Jones and Sam Rockwell, as well as Nathan Parker (the writer) and the producer. A fun side note, Duncan Jones' father was also in attendance (David Bowie).

Sam Rockwell plays Astronaut Sam Bell who has been working on the Moon for the last three years alongside his robot GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey).

That is all you need to know about the plot. This film is just amazing, Sam Rockwell AGAIN proves that he deserves to be in more movies, basically being the only actor in this film. After the first 5 minutes you develope a connection with this character which lasts thruought the film. Although I knew that Rockwell was in attendance I still believed that this was not Rockwell but Sam Bell who was waiting to return home.
The film is shot beautifully and it is amazing to see what Jones does with a 5 million dollar budget, showing us that we don't always have to see gigantic explosions in space to make a scifi film entertaining.

The film is paced excellently,  giving us longer emotional scenes but also quick back and forth dialogue which adds some comedy to the overall rather saddening film.

I will not discuss the film any further, because it would just spoil the film for you. 

WATCH IT....it will change your life for the better.

The Glory of a Scandal

"When the President does it, then its not illegal"
Ron Howard's adaptation of Peter Morgan's stageplay Frost/Nixon sees Michael Sheen and Frank Langella reprising their roles as David Frost and Richard Nixon.... and oh my god is it awesome.
If you don't know about Wateragate or Nixon you need to catch up on your american history and then enjoy, what I consider, one of the best movies of the year (and with the movies that came out in 2008 that is saying a lot).
After the famous Watergate scandal (catch up on that american history) Richard Nixon was granted a pardon by Gerald Ford and retreatet to his California mansion without ever standing trial or admitting any sort of guilt. So in comes David Frost, a semi-succesful tv-show host and playboy, whos "American fame" is just a distant memory. Frost, seeing Watergate as a chance to regain his fame in the States and to gain some credibility as a reporter, fights for an exclusive interview with Nixon, going into his own pocket to finance it. Frost soon realizes that this interview could lead to a confession from Nixon.
(I know this is an oversimplified synopsis of the film....and not very well written either, but deal with it.)
The cast...which includes Sam Rockwell(the guy is great in everything...even his scenes Charlies Angels are fucking entertaining)...is awesome and no one is overshadowed by the performance of a single actor.
Having watched some of the original footage from the Frost Nixon interviews it is amazing to see how accurate Michael Sheen portrays David Frost, everything about his performance is spot on (voice, gestures, movement even the hair).
Langella looks nothing like Nixon (there are about two scenes in the movie when the sun is shinning on him from an angle that sort of makes him look like nixon) but he takes certain aspects of Nixon (voice, movement) and plays them to almost caricature extremes, but rather then making a complete joke out of himself, he makes the role his own and, for 120 minutes, lets you believe that this is what Nixon was like. Langella is nothing short of spectacular in this film.

Bottom line is that if you want to see an entertaining, historically interesting film, with a great cast and a director who has finally directed a great film again (A Beautiful Mind seems like it was a long time ago). Go see this movie...Do It..Do It Now. Also, the movie will most definitely be nominated for a Best Motion Picture Oscar, so if you want to to discuss this years nominations you should watch it.