Romanian film review – Rebels, robbers and romantics: Closer to the Moon

In case you haven't noticed already, I am a huge admirer of director/writer Nae Caranfil and his films; he has made some of the most intelligent, sophisticated,amusing andbeautiful films of the last twenty years. But I am a bit at a loss with his latest pic, a glamorous historic thriller/romance/heist movie. Mai aproape de lună/Closer to the Moon takes a spectacular true event and turns it into purest Hollywood fantasy. In 1959 a group of six Jewish intellectuals robbed the Romanian National Bank, allegedly in order to help their friends in Israel but also as an act of undermining an oppressive and increasingly antisemitic regime. Caught by the Secret Police Securitate, they were forced to reenact the robbery in a propagandist cautionary film meant to show what can happen if one disrespects state authority. After the shoot, most of them were executed. Caranfil chooses to ignore the more serious aspects of the story and focuses on the suave and intellectual group of friends planning the heist and on their personal relationships. As usual, the dialogue is sharp and fun, and the film looks and sounds beautiful. Closer to the Moon is undoubtedly great fun to watch, engaging, and a joyous ride despite its serious subject . But it's also achingly sugar-coated and mainstream. Caranfil has never been a director of harsh realities and rugged style but Closer to the Moon is amazingly cute and harmless, a fairytale shot in bright colors. I've watched Closer to the Moon in its rough cut at last year's Transilvania Film Festival and the reactions were as mixed as the audience. I assume the biggest reason for irritation, also on my part, is the choice to shoot it in English; apparently due to the fact that financing is mainly non-Romanian. The cast is super-starry and my surprise was not small to see Mark Strong (