Fly Me To The Moon

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Opening : 01 Aug 2024

Runtime : 132 mins

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Rating	PG13 Some Coarse Language
Language	Englishwith English & Chinese subtitles
Genre	Comedy, Drama
Director	Greg Berlanti
Cast	Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Nick Dillenburg ,Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Donald Elise Watkins, Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson
Synopsis	Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, FLY ME TO THE MOON is a sharp, stylish comedy-drama set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up and the countdown truly begins…

REVIEWS

By InCinemas 26 Jul 2024

An enjoyable watch on the powers of good marketing and the historically significant space race.

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From one of the writers of the seminal American teen drama, Dawson’s Creek, comes Fly Me To The Moon, a romantic dramedy set against the colourful backdrop of NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing starring Oscar nominee, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum.

In this easy breezy summer flick with a run time of 132 minutes, Kelly (Johansson), a shark of an advertising executive from New York is initially hired by a dodgy White House suit, Moe (Woody Harrelson) to revitalise the American public’s waning interest in NASA and to essentially “sell the moon”. Kelly together with her trusty assistant, Ruby (Anna Garcia) go to Florida where alligators prowl, frat boys party all night and where the John F. Kennedy Space Center is located.

Despite the initial meet cute, Cole (Tatum), the gruff launch director of NASA, whose single minded focus in pulling off the successful mission is placed at odds with Kelly’s tenacious marketing skills as well as her willingness to bend the truth (i.e. lying).

Therein lies what appears to be the underlying message of the film in which the importance of the truth is advocated (especially in the context of human relationships) and is neatly demonstrated by Cole’s response towards Kelly’s efforts in doing her job. Cole is less than thrilled with her approach and despite his attempts at resistance, he is overridden by Moe.

However, the audience can’t help but be charmed by Kelly’s wheeling and dealing as we see her broker product placement deals with Omega and Fruit of the Loom shirts (which actually happened) as well as wooing reluctant senators to secure their votes in obtaining crucial government funds for NASA. Despite the fact that Kelly is plainly lying to get what she wants, the results that she obtains does seem to justify the arguably deceitful means. It doesn’t hurt that Johansson appears to have so much fun playing Kelly with her sassy quips and take no prisoners approach.

Eventually, Kelly and Cole both start to gain an understanding of each other in the shared goal of ensuring that the Appollo 11 moon landing goes without a hitch, and we see Kelly’s tough exterior soften and Cole gaining a grudging appreciation of how bending the truth isn’t all that bad. Of course, sparks also being to fly amongst the initially combative co-workers and eventually Kelly, who we learn has a chequered past, is placed in a difficult situation with her changing moral position on lying.

The conflict between the warring but not-so-secretly love-struck co-workers comes to head when Moe blackmails Kelly into filming a fake moon landing in case the real mission fails (which she reluctantly does) and keeps a secret from Cole. It is worth noting that this plot point seems like a cheeky meta commentary by the director and writer on one of the enduring conspiracy theories that NASA faked the Moon landings.

Despite the emotional turmoil faced by Kelly, the audience is treated to the wonderfully hilarious performance by Jim Rash who plays the flamboyant prima donna “best director you have never heard of”, Lance Vespertine.

Eventually all’s well that ends well and we see Kelly work together with Cole and their respective underlings to ensure that the real live stream of the moon landing is beamed to the world. The audience is treated to a thrilling sequence full of tension in which Kelly drives Cole’s Cadillac in heels to retrieve a colour television set in town ending with an (out of this world) kiss between the two protagonists (pun fully intended).

The cast shines in this movie with Johansson giving a wonderful performance as Kelly, a tough as brass woman trying to get ahead in a man’s world and hiding her fears while running away from her past. Tatum, the typical all American man, pulls off playing the stoic but emotional Cole who the audience learns would have been an astronaut save for his heart condition and who is wracked with guilt over the tragic deaths of the three Apollo 1 astronauts in a fire (also a true story). Harrelson basically plays another iteration of himself as Moe, the mysterious all-seeing, all-powerful government operative who pulls the strings. What the film could do more with is Ray Romano whose quiet but effective portrayal of the long-time NASA engineer, Henry Smalls, who calmly assists Cole and whose passion for NASA and the space mission is admirable.

Much applause to the costume designer, Mary Zophres, who has recreated the Swinging Sixties with stylish mod looks worn by Kelly and her trusty assistant Ruby in their fabulously printed shift dresses and tapered trousers as well as the streamlined knit shirt and fitted trouser combinations worn by Cole. The technicoloured wardrobe pops against the verdant shots of Florida is truly a feast for the eyes and befits a summer film sure to please the audience.

While there were some throwaway scenes and remarks made by Ruby relating to issues arising from the Vietnam War and the rise of the second wave of feminism which were appreciated in setting the context of the era the film was set in, there wasn’t much development and seemed as if to be a cursory afterthought to the film’s central storyline.

All in all, the candy coated confectionary of a film was an enjoyable watch and audience members of all ages will find something to enjoy with the added bonus of learning about the powers of good marketing and the historically significant space race. In this current day and age, don’t we all deserve to leave this planet even for a short while?
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Fly Me To The Moon