Moon

Sam Bell is a lonely guy. For almost three years he’s been alone on the moon working as a miner, his only companion the ship’s chatty computer. His long contract with the Earth-bound mining company is almost up, though, and his replacement – and his ride back home to friends and family -- is en route. Then something goes horribly wrong. Giving away anything else about director Duncan Jones new film, Moon, would spoil the fun of watching it. Suffice it to say that this highly entertaining Sci-Fi film is the kind of film that will not only give you your money’s worth while you watch it, but also give you the added bonus of having a lot to think about – and talk about –when it’s over. And while it isn’t the kind of movie that screams ‘Oscar bait’ it features one of the best performances you are likely to see on celluloid this year from the very talented Sam Rockwell. Most actors would have a very hard time holding your interest all alone – or virtually alone – up on the screen for more than a few minutes; Rockwell’s same Bell keeps you absolutely riveted.

District B13 (2004)

Almost a quarter of a century after John Carpenter came up with the brilliant idea of creating a future where the criminals of the world are kept together in a city all their own in Escape from New York, French filmmaker Luc Besson came up with an idea of his own.

He took the bare bones of Carpenter’s story and added a few twists of his own, like setting the film in Paris, giving the bad guys a nuclear bomb and using parkour-trained stuntmen in his cast.

The result is the thoroughly enjoyable District B13.

For those unfamiliar with the term, parkour is a style of movement that focuses on the fluidity of getting over, around, past and through objects when traveling from point A to point B. Parkour practitioners move from place to place by adapting to and not trying to force their way throuh the objects they find blocking their path.

Or something like that. If you try to intellectualize the theory to much, you will miss the jaw-dropping thrill of watching District 13.

Director Pierre Morel does a great job of capturing all the action. He doesn’t use a lot of quick editing cuts to make the sequences look artificially hyperactive. He’s confident enough to just film the stunt men doing their stuff, which should be a lesson to 99 percent of the directors making action movies today.

When you’ve enjoyed the 85-minute joy ride of District B13, be sure to check out the bonus features and see how the stunts were done without using special effects. It will make you want to watch the movie all over again.

IMDB Site.