I liked Moon a lot, despite it not being:
a) A biopic of Keith Moon
b) A dramatisation of Who Built The Moon
c) A documentary about the history of the Moonies
d) An avant-garde display of buttocks across two hours narrated by Moon Unit Zappa
(Delete as appropriate)
Instead its ninety minutes of Sam Rockwell talking to himself and the rehabilitation of science fiction computers. But perhaps its a sign of age when I look at big idea sci-fi (which Moon certainly is) and then start to wonder about the business planning of the faceless corporation involved. No spoilers, but the unusual situation outlined in Moon does not necessarily seem to be the most cost effective way of running the business involved. Great for rustling up intriguing think-piece moral conundrums, but potentially lousy when it comes to making money. And the moral problem at the heart of Moon? Well that should have been picked up by their auditors.
But hey, when was there ever a sci-fi film with an accountant as a hero?
Well indeed, as a species we have found few, if any, things that large numbers of people aren’t willing to do for a few bucks an hour.
Also, we need to talk about Kevin. I’m feeling Spacey is a bit like Evan Dando a decade or so ago – for a while it seemed quite flattering to have a big American star around, but after a while it’s “are you still here?” I imagine that British casting directors who have started off trying to get in touch with, say, Brian Cox, and then worked their way down to Mark Gatiss and still can’t find anyone available, are going “In last resort, we can always get Spacey.”
spacey’s role in telstar was the “count basie orchestra… on triangle” of stunt casting: it *only* worked if you forgot it was spacey playing him, and to his credit i think he pulled that off, but wtf!
I think that’s a bit harsh on Spacey. His role appears to be more as guarantor for funding: wot with British backers being notoriously star struck so they seen the name Kevin Spacey on the cast list and think “this is good”, rather than, “Kevin Spacey, he’ll do anything”.
Whilst i can see the Evan Dando parallels, I don’t think Spacey is anywhere near as bad as that. After all he won’t turn up to your house at 3am to “do a bit of acting” like Dando used to do with his acoustic guitar at festivals.
Goodness, there are still people starstruck by Kevin Spacey? That ought to have gone out the window with Beyond The Sea. It mostly did in the States, I believe; I haven’t heard anyone with a kind word for him since, unless it’s preceded by “I know he’s rubbish* now, but…”
*not a direct quote, obv. Translated for Brits!
Spacey has cultivated this by making a thing of playing — and to be fair very evidently enjoying — small art theatre here in London: so it’s a mutual flattery move, and it is about the choice to be small
Maybe it’s move over Kev, because Clarke Peters is everywhere right now. Of course, he’s apparently been here for years, but until The Wire finally made it on the BBC, that meant very little. Now he’s wallowing in his moment, and proving to be the luvviest luvvie this side of Lord Dickie if this week’s Edinburgh Festival Cultural Show is anything to go by. The fact that he has none of Lester Freamon’s cool would go show he’s a pretty decent actor, I suppose.
“After all he won’t turn up to your house at 3am to “do a bit of acting” like Dando used to do with his acoustic guitar at festivals.”
He’ll invite you back to his hotel room to “do a bit of acting” at 3am tho surely