Closer to the Moon (2014)

A Romanian police officer teams up with a small crew of old friends from the World War II Jewish Resistance to pull off a heist by convincing everyone at the scene of the crime that they are only filming a movie.

Director:

Nae Caranfil

Writer:

Nae Caranfil

Stars:

Vera Farmiga, Mark Strong, Harry Lloyd

9 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vera Farmiga	...	Alice
Mark Strong	...	Max
Harry Lloyd	...	Virgil
Anton Lesser	...	Holban
Joe Armstrong	...	Razvan
Christian McKay	...	Iorgu
Tim Plester	...	Dumi
Darrell D'Silva	...	Minister
David de Keyser	...	Moritz
Frances Cuka	...	Sarah
Marcin Walewski	...	Mirel
Allan Corduner	...	Flaviu
Monica Barladeanu	...	Sonia (as Monica Birladeanu)
Paul Jesson	...	Studio Manager
John Henshaw	...	Judge

Storyline

Bucharest 1959. A spectacular Bank heist has the country in an uproar. In post-war Communist Romania it is an unimaginable slap in the face to the iron fisted authorities. Four men and a woman are arrested, tried, convicted and while waiting for their execution... are forced to star in a propaganda film about the crime. All five protagonists were heroes of the resistance during the Second World War and highly placed members of Romanian society. They clearly knew they would be caught and executed.

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Plot Keywords:

romanian | police officer | year 1959 | bucharest romania | post world war two | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Romania USA Italy Poland France

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gang Rosenthala

Filming Locations:

Romania

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agresywna Banda, Denis Friedman Productions, Mandragora Movies

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Prior to filming Closer to the Moon (2014) with Vera Farmiga, Mark Strong played the male lead opposite Farmiga's sister Taissa Farmiga in the film Anna (2013).

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Quotes

Moritz: Lord, in thy great bounty, screw the Bolsheviks, give them every disease in the world, ruin them, burn their houses, and send them back to Moscow, Amen.

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Connections

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

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Soundtracks

It's Magic
Music by Sammy Cahn
Lyrics by Jule Styne
Performed by Loredana Groza

User Reviews

Excellent ! ! !

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!