First Man
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Rated: PG-13
Does Hollywood want everyone on earth to have a massive fear of space? This is an honest question. Every year when the latest prestige space film is released, I leave the theater thanking God I've never wanted to be involved in space travel. Did anyone see Gravity and think, "Wow, I just gotta be an astronaut!" Did you see the "mountain" scene in Interstellar and suddenly have the urge to sign up for a NASA training program? Do you have a friend who walked out of the Martian begging to be one of the first humans to live on the Mars colony? It's doubtful! These movies have made space its own genre of horror. First Man certainly did not calm my fears of space travel, but it did give me a lot more respect for the astronauts who were brave enough to face it.
Exploring the life of Neil Armstrong, First Man is director Damien Chazelle's first release since La La Land. It proves he has the ability to tackle many different genres of film. While La La Land was a soaring musical, First Man is an immersive biographical drama. It may look like a film all about the first steps on the moon, but it's much more than that. Chazelle explores Neil Armstrong's personal life with precision and care. What went on behind the scenes in this iconic man's life? What drove him? The scenes of personal life are juxtaposed with scenes of intensive NASA training. Chazelle often uses shaky cam technique to show the intensity of the astronauts training, and eventually space travel. It's a very effective technique in the space travel sequences, because it makes the audience feel a little bit of the anxiety and disorientation that the astronauts were feeling. (If you suffer from motion sickness you should know that parts of this film get very shaky.)
Ryan Gosling is excellent as Neil Armstrong. He speaks very little, but conveys everything the audience needs to know about him just through his expressions. The film pulls back the curtain on the real Neil Armstrong. It's easy to view him as just a historical figure, but First Man looks to show its audience more about the real person. Gosling embodies the character as a man who is haunted by personal tragedy. Despite that, he stops at nothing to achieve something great at NASA. He isn't driven by ego or praise, but a genuine need to succeed.
Claire Foy is great as Janet, Neil's wife. As Neil becomes the first man to walk on the moon, Janet is left to take care of the house, raise children, and worry about her husband's safety. The film does an impressive editing job by cutting to scenes of Janet while Neil is hard at work in the space program. Claire Foy and Ryan Gosling share many intense scenes together exploring the complex relationship of Neil and Janet. However, my one issue with the film is the ending that focuses on their relationship. Throughout the film, we see that tragedy and Neil's work have caused the pair to struggle with communication. I won't say exactly what happens, but it's an odd way to end an otherwise great movie. It takes a simple moment and tries to make it a bit too symbolic. As a fan of Damien Chazelle, I've noticed he ends all of his films the same way. It works in Whiplash and La La Land, but I don't think it works here.
If you aren't sold on seeing First Man, you should be for the space sequences alone. They are so well executed. As I stated earlier, the shaky cam technique is used to make the audience feel like they are actually in the rocket with the astronauts. Even though I am usually very anti-shaky cam, I think it's a creative choice that works here. There are a few scenes in First Manwhere I actually wondered, "Will Neil Armstrong be okay?" Of course, I already knew the answer, but the movie builds up so much tension that it kept me on the edge of my seat. The entire moon landing is a fantastic cinematic sequence that you won't be forgetting anytime soon.
Who was the first man to walk on the moon? We all know the answer to that, but what was his story? First Man is an intense and immersive look at the Neil Armstrong they don't talk about in history books.
My Rating: 9/10