The Moon & Back

One year after her father's death, high school senior Lydia Gilbert feels completely lost...until she discovers something unexpected: a space opera screenplay needing a blockbuster-sized budget - written by her dad.

This is a lovely idea about managing grief, maturing, recognising the value of others, and finding your own inner strength. The story is great, and it has a great deal of life affirmation in it.

It's very sadly let down by the acting which at times is bizarre, and more like 3rd grader than high school senior. The scene where Simon and Lydia sing in the street is...quite literally...overwhelmingly awful. I had to fast forward before I burst.

There's little real chemistry between them either so none of their scenes truly worked, it was like 2 people who just know each other trying to be best mates.

I'd love to see this done with competent actors and a new director, as the story itself has immense potential.

You can slice it, dice it, splice it, and turn it upside down -- but no matter what you do, this film is never going to be remembered as anything more than "early" Isabel May. On the plus side, this is a low budget indie which never pretends to be more than it actually is. It is sincere. The production values are top notch. It is a memorable and passionate exploration of the twin themes of loss and reconnection (with both the living and the dead). It is well written and well acted. But, again, for film lovers of the far future, May will be the calling card, the hook. In 1883 (2021), May stole every scene she was in and, because she was also doing the V. O., she stole those scenes as well. May is one of those rare talents who can instantly morph from drop-dead gorgeous to a rubber-faced Jim Carrie clone, and back again. If she does not have a major fanbase already, I am sure she will develop one very quickly. The sooner the better. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Coming of age can be difficult enough, but, when we lose someone who has been a source of valuable guidance in the midst of that process, the result can be shattering. Under conditions like that, it can be easy to lose one's way. So it is for Lydia, a distraught high school senior who feels adrift after losing the father she adored. And those who care for her and try to steer her back on track - her mother, her guidance counselor, a neighbor and a variety of friends - seem unable to help. But, when Lydia stumbles upon an original sci-fi movie screenplay that her father wrote, the discovery finally sparks an interest in tackling something productive. She decides to make a film based on the unproduced work, but her enthusiasm is challenged when she finds out just how difficult such an undertaking can be. In doing so, she learns that, at some point, coming of age means letting go and striking out on one's own - even leaving behind the source of inspiration who helped her get so far. Writer-director Leah Bleich's charming comedy-drama provides viewers with a refreshingly distinctive take on material typical of this genre, providing just the right amount of heart tugs but without overdoing it, all the while serving up both laughs and serious moments that successfully avoid the clichés often found in stories like this. The narrative manages to stay on track quite well, despite a few meandering lulls, keeping the storytelling crisp and economical. And, given the excellent, incisive, edgy character development here, this offering strikes me very much as being the movie that "Lady Bird" (2017) was striving to be but could never quite get right. Indeed, "The Moon & Back" is a fun, pleasant, enjoyable little diversion, but it's by no means a lightweight, just what a film of this stripe should be.