Fly Me to the Moon: A cheesecake full of charm, charisma and heart.

Rob Ryan

⭐⭐⭐1/2

If you where to tell me the events in Fly Me to the Moon are all based on irrefutable fact, (with the exception of America landing on the Moon) I and most people's inclination would probably be to scoff at the prospect, but the film is a case study for how charm, charisma and an unapologetic heartfelt attitude can overcome the most ludicrous of plots. The film is a combination of formulaic rom-com, old fashioned inspirational optimism with a tinge of conspiracy added to the mix. On top of that it's about just how much can opposites really attract and the filmmakers where right to sense that actors like Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum where equal to the challenge of demonstrating that very point.

Johansson is Kelly Jones, an advertising agent who is willing to twist and distort and inflate facts about herself and the brand just to attract as many consumers as possible, one day she's approached by a man named Moe (Woody Harrelson) who clams to work for Nixon. It's the late 60's, Vietnam is dominating the news cycle, funding for NASA is running dry and they need to beat the Soviets in the Moon race just so America can win the international dick measuring contest. Kelly accepts to offer to sell NASA and by extension, the Moon. Giving the public the perfect distraction from the horrors of the Vietnam war.

However, Kelly may have bitten more than she can chew as flight director, Cole Davis (Tatum) is not happy when she turns his and many other's life's work into a marketing gimmick. From hiring actors to play them in news interviews to putting their names on Watches, Cereal boxes, you name it. As the public perception turns in favour of NASA and the deadline to Launch date comes closer, the pressure mounts on everyone to get this project completed on time, if not then Moe will have to twist Kelly's hand and have her along with her commercial director friend (Jim Rash) film a fake version of the Moon landing as an alternative if the real mission fails.

The big hook with this film is how it shows multiple perspectives of motivating factors for why this project needed to work, for Kelly it's her big break and a chance to take her gifts for manipulating the public consciousness to the next level. For Moe and the state department it's a chance for the USA to hopefully maintain their hegemony against the rest of the world, but for Cole and for his team, it's about achieving something bigger then not only themselves, but all the other motivating factors mentioned, about pushing the boundaries for how far can scientific innovation and the human race can go and for them to look back and feel gratitude that they all got to be a part of it.

Even deeper than all of these things is Cole's need to honour those lost during the many years of getting this project off the ground. Men who died in the progress of space travel who all shared the same dream as him. There's a surprising amount of heart and sincerity in the way in which it conveys this theme and also the way in which Kelly evolves as a character because of seeing first hand that this is not some commercial, this is a project that people have spent their whole lives too, not something that you can recreate on camera for TV.

The cast are all perfect, from Tatum and Johansson's playful chemistry and their constant butting heads, Ray Romano as co-director of the mission who never ceases to be a likeable presence in any movie he's in, Woody Harrelson's Moe, toes the line of being charismatic, slimy and almost sinister to the point where you are not sure what he's going to say or do next, Jim Rash as director of the fake moon landing who missed his chance to direct In The Valley of the Dolls, to even the small supporting players that don't have huge amounts of screen time but manage to make their roles meaningful to the whole picture even for just a short time.

The film was directed by Greg Berlanti who mostly specialises in TV and whose previous film, Love Simon managed to convey the challenges of coming out in modern day effectively. Here he displays the same level of fluidity and confidence in his direction but also in how he creates a tone and feel that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, a film that leans into melodrama without ever feeling like you are being manipulated, he depends on not only his immensely enjoyable cast but on conveying a story about people who go through the hurdle of media speculation, world politics and government pressure just to make the world feel as inspired as they are, the film makes no apologies about itself and it's all the better for it.

A part of me does feel like I'm being too generous towards it, I understand that this is not exactly groundbreaking storytelling or cutting edge commentary that the movie is making, but as it went along the more I found myself won over by it, I was taken aback on how emotionally wrapped in the characters journeys I was and how much I cared about their success even though there is no doubt on where this is all going. No this isn't historically accurate at all but It's not trying to be, anyone looking for a real account of events need not apply but for everyone else this is a warm, heartfelt, accessible and above all else, entertaining effort.