play among the stars

Charming dramedy Fly Me to the Moon blends fiction and history

Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in Fly Me to the Moon.

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Any avid filmgoer knows that films that purport to be “based on a true story” should be taken with large grains of salt, as filmmakers often take many dramatic liberties in order to fit their vision. But there are other films that insert fictional characters into major real-life events, like Titanic, to use that history as the backdrop for a completely different kind of story.

That latter approach is what’s on display in Fly Me to the Moon, which is set around the events leading up to the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. However, save for the three Apollo 11 astronauts, nobody portrayed in the film is real. Instead, it centers around straight-laced NASA Flight Director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), whose rigid preparations are upended when a lackey for President Nixon, Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), hires a brash and highly effective PR person, Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), to sell the space mission to a skeptical public and Congress.

Jones pulls out all the stops to make the billions NASA is spending more appealing, including hiring actors to use as stand-ins for administrators in interviews, having the astronauts advertise everything from high-end watches to Tang, and sweet-talking reluctant U.S. senators (including one played by Johansson’s real-life husband, Colin Jost). But a demand by Berkus that Jones arrange for the filming of a fake moon landing as a contingency in case of failure for the real one may be a step too far for even Jones.

Directed by Greg Berlanti and written by Rose Gilroy, the film has its fair share of charms, but those start to wear off as the film goes along. Jones and her assistant, Ruby (Anna Garcia), make for a fun pair as they run roughshod over a variety of people to get what they want. Likewise, Davis and his crew, which includes Henry Smalls (Ray Romano), are an amiable bunch whose baffled reactions to Jones’ work are entertaining in a refreshingly non-sexist way.

But the fictional story continually bumps up against the real history it’s depicting. The idea of the first moon landing being faked has been a conspiracy theory virtually from the time it happened, so that part of the film works the best, especially since it features the prima donna director Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash). But many of the other segments feel off, especially when the film returns multiple times to the anguish of Davis – again, a fictional character – over the deaths of the real Apollo 1 astronauts in a fire.

Berlanti and his team try to keep things light, and the goofiness of the core NASA characters we’re shown – which includes the very young Stu Bryce (Donald Elise Watkins) and Don Harper (Noah Robbins) – along with the semi-romance that develops between Jones and Davis helps them achieve mild success in that department. But the far-fetched nature of some of the plot points, including a crucial last-minute twist, too often counteract those parts.

The winning personalities of both Johansson and Tatum make their performances good ones overall, even if they both seem slightly miscast. Harrelson always makes for a good slimeball, so he works well in his role. The supporting cast is what truly keeps the film afloat, though, as Romano, Garcia, Rash, Watkins, Robbins, and more come in and out of the story seamlessly.

Fly Me to the Moon is a dramedy that should not be confused in any way, shape, or form with actual history. When it sticks to wholly invented scenes, it makes for an enjoyable watch, but when it starts to blur the lines between real events and fiction, the film loses the thread.

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Fly Me to the Moon opens in theaters on July 12. It will debut on Apple TV+ at a later date.

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Movie Review

Twin sisters set out for revenge in Tarantino-esque film 'Is God Is'

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

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Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.