Crappy film

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Harry Lloyd, Vera Farmiga, Mark Strong, and Anton Lesser star in "Closer to the Moon" from 2014.This is a fictionalized version of the The Ioanid Gang's bank robbery in Romania that took place in 1959. The gang was made up of six Jewish Romanian intellectuals (at least in this film, though there were others involved apparently). They stole Romanian lei, about $250,000 U.S. dollars from an armored car at the National Bank of Romania.This was a controversial robbery (to say the least) because no one exactly knows why they did it. The Romanian lei could only be used in Romania and not exchanged for hard currency, though supposedly the money was going to Zionist organizations. However, none of the robbers were Zionist.The film comes up with a theory. These people were underground revolutionaries fighting the Nazis in WW II. At that time, they knew they could be caught and killed at any moment. The leader says to them, robberies are never committed in Communist countries, it's something done in capitalist countries. Let's rob a bank and make people sit up and take notice and question the ideals of Communism. We never expected to live this long anyway, so let's make our lives count. If they are caught, the punishment is execution.They pull off the robbery under the guise of shooting a film. They are caught and then re-enact the robbery for a propaganda film. Were they forced to, were they told their executions would be canceled - no one knows.A strange film on a strange subject for sure. My problem was that it was presented at times in a very lighthearted way with jaunty music which was odd given that the end result was going to be execution. There's nothing wrong with using humor in serious matters - Divided We Fall is an example, as is To Be Or Not to Be, and The Producers - but this was an odd mixture that, while interesting, didn't come off.The film was also slow-moving and lacked excitement.In the real story, the woman, played by Farmiga, is not executed and ultimately freed because she had two children. In the film she has one child, and a slightly different reason is given for her freedom.The acting was good, particularly from David DeKeyser and Alan Corduner. This I don't believe is an accurate re-telling of that robbery, but if you have any interest in it, you may like this.

About five minutes into this film I had the sinking feeling that I had just paid to see a film I would not want to watch. I chose it from a list of "On Demand" films on TV and the blurb was misleading otherwise I probably wouldn't have chosen it. The blurb said something about WWII, Jews,and Communism, so I thought it was about WWII and the Holocaust, but it is not. Anyway, I would have stayed with it but found it both confusing and boring. It struck me as an artistic film that's more about the acting and other aspects of its production, than it is about storytelling. I found it to be similar to watching an early Fellini production in which a certain grotesqueness about the actors' faces and behaviors is supposed to be moving and often, humorous. Perhaps if I had had more knowledge about the history upon which the film is based, I would have enjoyed it more? Somehow, I don't think so.There's also the possibility that the discomfort I felt watching the film was the reaction the director and producers were going for. If that's the case, I suppose it warrants a much higher vote than I gave it.

It is always gratifying to find a film you do not know anything about and it becomes one of your favorite movies.Director/writer Nae Caranfil has taken an obscure incident in Soviet occupied Romania in the late 1950's and has offered it up to the 21st century cinema to give us a most pertinent message for today's world.That message is not robbing the bank! The message is to be found in how the system (society) can single out certain groups and marginalize them into committing a desperate act --- and not really have any reason to do this act but to just fight back.The entire cast is perfect in their individual roles, the script is intelligent, the photography beautiful! This film should a 10 in anyones book!

I was so completely entertained by this little film. I understand the historical data is highly accurate and appropriate for the Romanians that have lived in that exact period - which I respect so much . The amazing cinematography traps you along with power-house performances from Farmiga and Strong, the story is simply amazing and unique ( i think we all crave for unique stories nowadays). Caranfil's directing took me by surprise because I have never expected this level of craft from a director also trapped in a country where films at this scale are only a dream. I loved every single one of the shots and the editing was also amazing. I really hope Caranfil will make more movies like this - keeping the amazing dark, funny and artistic tone. ( See The Rest is Silence - it maintains that unique blend of tones ). One of the best non- American films i've seen in the last couple of years.