Two Movies

Last week I did something I never do anymore. I went to the movies twice in a week.

There was a time when that wouldn't be so unusual. The reasons are pretty simple. Wife, kids, life in general doesn't lend itself to up and going to the theater with abandon as it once did. Plus, there aren't as many movies drawing me to the theater as there once were. So last week was a rare treat.



On Monday I saw Moon, which tells the story of a contractor who is the sole worker on a mining station on the moon. His three-year contract is almost up and with two weeks to go, he begins seeing things. Eventually he meets an alternate version of himself and we are left to wonder if he is talking to a clone or has the solitude broken him. By the end of the film, director Duncan Jones has left us with questions of existence, identity, and experience. Sam Rockwell is amazing in dual roles. The wonderful thing about Moon is not only its story and themes, but that it stays with you afterward. It causes you to question and probe. It lingers, in a wonderful and provoking way. Lastly, Moon contains one of the most heart-wrenching scenes I've witnessed in a long time. Alone and desperate to get home, Rockwell's character weeps, longing to return to his family. As the camera pulls back, we see the earth, impossibly huge and also impossible for him to reach. It has become one of my favorite movie moments.



On Friday, the wife and I had a rare date night and set out to see (500)Days of Summer. Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel, doesn't believe in commitment, while Tom has always held that fate will bring him the love of his life. She begins working in his office and the film tells of the rise and fall of their relationship.

This is a movie not only about love, but about the human experience, which entails incredible highs and tortuous lows. It is a film that anyone who has ever been in love can identify with. My wife can usual take or leave the movies we see and she even said when we left the theater that we need to "own this one."

What these movies share in common is that it's a miracle that either was made in today's blockbuster, multiplex-driven climate. They are both wonderfully written, filmed, directed, and performed. Films like these shouldn't be so rare.