In the world of film buffs, (teen) rom coms are considered among the films with the lowest quality as a genre, since they are usually tear-jerkers that aim at benefitting from their protagonists’ looks and popularity more than anything else, in order to become commercial successes. And although I do not object to the aforementioned, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for these movies, and since “Take Me to the Moon” is a great sample of the category, I feel no shame in stating that I really enjoyed it. Let us take things from the beginning, though.
Take Me to the Moon screened at 8th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase
In a story that combines the teen rom-com with time travelling, we meet Cheng-hsiang in 2017, a corporate employee who feels that something is missing in his life. When his work brings him to Japan, he finds the girl he loved in highschool, Li En-pei, only to discover that her dreams of becoming a pop star, which he also encouraged, were completely crushed. Sometime later, the woman dies, and a drunk and regretful Cheng-hsian roams the streets wondering what would have happened if he had not encouraged her in the past. A mysterious flower lady gives him a chance to find out, and returns him to the past, where he proceeds in doing everything in his power to not allow her to participate in the audition that gave her the chance to go to Japan. At the same time, the relationships of the members of the “gang” come to the fore.
Hsien Chun-yi directs a delightful movie, which manages to encompass all the elements that make the rom-com one of the most commercially successful categories, internationally. In that fashion, we have a slow-burning romance between two gorgeous but reluctant protagonists, some splashes of both drama and comedy, a permeating sense of nostalgia, for both high school and the 90’s, and much music, and particularly the songs of Chang Yu-sheng, who died from a car accident in 1997.
All of the above are presented in a very light tone, that benefits the film’s aesthetics and the entertainment it provides to the most. Some social comments, about family, chasing your dreams and regret do exist, but are placed in the background, as the romance takes the dominant position in the film.
This “lightness” is stressed by Yao Hung-i’s cinematography, who fills the movie with bright lights and colors, and Ting Chuen Li’s editing, which, along with the music, makes the film function as a music video, quite frequently. Another trait of the production is the presentation of the era, which reaches all aspects of everyday life, including behaviours and opinions.
The dramatic aspect derives from Chang’ s songs, whose regular themes of chasing ones dreams and innocent love are also the main themes of the film, which actually functions as a tribute to the artist, even including some of his lyrics in the dialogues.
Equally gorgeous Vivian Sung as En-pei and Jasper Liu as Cheng-hsian, play their parts in perfect harmony with the film’s aesthetics, all the while highlighting their evident chemistry, with the camera focusing quite frequently in their impressive smiles.
“Take Me to the Moon” is not a “deep” film, but it is light, beautifully shot and scored, and a very enjoyable experience and this is where its true value lies.