Fly Me To The Moon
The only fake news about this rom-com is the fake news being spread about it. A charming rom-com set in the 1960’s Space Race, Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson are charming as the ‘will they’ won’t they couple?’ Equally charming are is a supporting character played by Anna Garcia (Ruby Martin), though Stu Bryce’s (Donald Elise Watkins) brief charismatic performances on screen cry out for a leading man role. Why does he get to bust moves and drop tunes — surely he should get the girl too?
Rocking fabulous 1960’s fashions and ‘do’s’, Scarlett Johansson’s Kelly Jones aka Winnie professionally lies for a living, getting advertising accounts on lucrative board. We see her impersonating a pregnant woman to get her latest account signed up — only to be discovered later in an unfortunate reveal. Her success in advertising is very useful to the government, in the form of handler Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), who need her to promote NASA to the US public and potential senatorial backers. Which she does with aplomb, drafting in product placement deals with Omega, and instant appeal on breakfast cereal boxes. Additionally, she starts faking key staff members with actors to deliver more news-worthy, televisual, impressive speeches to capture hearts and minds — and wallets.
Against the backdrop of Nixon’s government and the Vietnam War, Kelly and Ruby seek to woo the engineers of the Space Mission — and turn Buzz Aldrin (Colin Woodell), Michael Collins (Christian Zuber) and Neil Armstrong (Nick Dillenburg) into national, instantly recognisable heroes. Which includes schmoozing the Senators.
Contrasting with Kelly’s keenness to break the rules at every turn, is honest, decent, caring and truthful Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), who has done his duty as a pilot in the Korean War. Saddened by grief and guilt at the terrible accident of the Apollo 1 mission, he remembers them by tending the gardens around their memorial and by learning rather than being burdened by guilt. He’s horrified by Kelly’s move in to NASA plc and spin.
What’s lovely here is, once they’ve overcome their ethical-culture clash, that they go on dates, lots of dates. Refreshingly, romance blossoms as they get to know each other by talking and spending time together (!), but what will happen when Kelly’s true mission is revealed? Which is to fake the moon landing for governmental glory — i.e. victory over the Russian and superiority over Communism. Cos it’s the Cold War era, baby. Fakery does come into play, but not as you think. A Kubrick-esuqe director is brough on board to create the Moon, embellished by the details of real plans from the actual mission and to film a landing which will be beamed across the nation — and the world. Regardless of what’s really happening in space. Choices have to be made — and truth will out. Or will it?
Channing and Johannsson make an endearing couple, with Kelly’s enjoyable story-arc about stopping lying and staying truthful. Not to mention Cole’s admiration for a beautiful woman who is also intelligent, confident enough to eat alone, resourceful and very capable. Though he bristles at her ideas and concepts — a TV camera in space (!) astronauts infront of promoted sports cars, brandished watches on spacey wrists — he admires her too. Yet he too can schmooze and impress by telling the truth and being himself, which is a novelty for her!
Entertaining as it is, I wish the movie had either gone full satire like Doctor Strangelove, or full comedic stylish rom-com like Down With Love, and really played up to its themes. This is a bit more serious rom-com. But enjoyable none the less. Appreciate the launch moments, as well as the fakery! the dancing (and Kelly’s fast car to the rescue moment — in heels!)
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