‘Fly Me to the Moon’ REVIEW: Safe and pleasant romance with a side of history
‘Fly Me to the Moon’ REVIEW: Safe and pleasant romance with a side of history
Scarlett Johansson & Channing Tatum in Fly Me to the Moon | Image Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Horror has been having a major renaissance in recent years. Fans of that genre certainly have a lot more options to enjoy and share with cinephiles that many can form opinions over. The romantic comedy, however, is still waiting for its next large-scale takeover.
After a resurgence in 2018, it’s back to lying low on most people’s radars. Although, there have been major blips. Rye Lane’s hilarity and charm were paired with a distinctive eye that captivated audiences worldwide. Then there’s Red, White & Royal Blue, giving the queer community everything they wanted in a romantic comedy. Both examples introduced pairs of talented actors who warrant exciting careers ahead of them.
But what of those before them who cut their teeth in the genre before finding success in more “serious” films? That’s likely what led Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum into the charming period piece Fly Me to the Moon, a romantic comedy window dressed under NASA’s efforts to take Apollo 11 to the moon for real and the — it must be said, fictional — government plan to film a backup, fake version just in case.
Over its opening credits — one of the film’s early nods to doing things old school — the specter of Apollo 1’s failure looms over NASA as launch director Cole Davis fusses over faulty equipment. Meanwhile, Kelly Jones spends her days conning men into making sales the legal way possible — as a marketing specialist.
The government sees potential in Jones’ flowery maneuvers and tasks her with improving NASA’s image. The already struggling Davis isn’t keen on Jones and the tricks up her sleeve, but her charms and strategies work well enough to keep his guard down and build a romance between them.
There’s nothing here that generally contradicts the historical occurrence of Apollo 11’s successful mission, nor is there anything that breaks away radically from the romantic comedy’s formula. What is here is the reliably cinematic chemistry between Tatum and Johansson. They could do this in their sleep, but the film around them isn’t on autopilot.
Greg Berlanti, given a chance to display cinematic scale despite its outward trappings, takes every opportunity to put a lot of visual spectacle into the film’s take on NASA. It feels like it’s lit to fit a period, a mood, without being over-lit or darkened to the point of exhaustion. There’s definitely CG at work here, but it feels in conjunction with just enough physicality that it doesn’t detract.
Daniel Pemberton’s score here helps move the story along nicely. The film’s supporting players make the most of their familiar character types. Even Jim Rash, playing what is essentially Dean Pelton as a struggling director, injects plenty more humor in his line readings and facial reactions than his character seems to have on paper.
Fly Me to the Moon isn’t really about NASA’s mission to reach the moon. If it were, the film would face enough scrutiny to be erased altogether. Instead, it’s about how a defeated optimist with everything on the line and a cynic who uses her skills to persuade a country to believe again bring about a historical change that their nation should be grateful for.
I guess, despite the growing divisiveness of the world and a sea of more memorable viewing options, Fly Me to the Moon can make for a wonderful date night on screens big and small. When it drops on streaming soon as an Apple co-production, it will offer enough big-screen sights and A-list swooning to satisfy. For a romantic comedy, it has plenty to enjoy. It may be a small step in their careers, but it’s also a bright spot worth heading towards.
‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas.
