FIRST MAN REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Following the success of their six-time Academy Award-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling team up once again for First Man, the riveting story of NASA's mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Armstrong (Gosling) and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, First Man will explore the sacrifices and the cost - on Armstrong and on the nation - of one of the most dangerous missions in history.

​For the portrayal of Armstong, Gosling is surprisingly a great choice. Armstrong is described as introverted, quiet and diligent by those who know him best and Gosling is the best choice to bring that to life. He delivers an elegant and thoughtful performance that should put him right in contention for awards season next year. The supporting cast are on great form too. On the surface, this might look like Gosling's vehicle, but there are plenty of roles for the supporting cast too. Since appearing in the Netflix series, The Crown, where she portrayed Queen Elizabeth II, Claire Foy has continued to impress. Last year, she gave a strong dramatic performance as Diana Cavendish in Breathe and earlier this year, she starred in Steven Soderbergh's thriller, Unsane. Foy further proves what a talented actress she is and she gives a memorable performance as Armstrong's wife, Jan, who is caring and supportive but can be fierce when she needs to be. Corey Stroll is excellent as the awkward and blunt Buzz Aldrin and Jason Clarke is on top form as Armstrong's friend and fellow astronaut Ed White.
Despite its 140 minute runtime, there are plenty of thrills in First Man. The opening sequence, in particular, is pure heart-in-mouth action and there are plenty more of those sequences throughout the runtime. The majority of the narrative, which is written by Josh Singer and based on James R. Hansen's biography of Armstrong, does focus on his personal life, including his relationship with his wife and children. Some may think that this is boring, especially those who are only watching First Man for the breathtaking sequence when Armstrong lands on the moon. That sequence doesn't occur until towards the end of the film. Fortunately, I found Armstrong's life to be very interesting. The narrative focuses on the important events that happened in Armstrong's life from 1961 up until the moon landing in 1969. He experiences tragedies, including the deaths of his young daughter and his fellow astronauts. Experiencing these deaths, we understand Armstrong's motivation and determination to get to the moon. A concern I had, before watching First Man, was how they were going to create an story and how do you end it? I was expecting the film to end straight after Armstrong's walk on the moon, however, Chazelle chose to end it with Armstrong reuniting with Janet. I'm glad it ended this way as their relationship was an important part of the narrative and it was very touching to see them reunited.
Aside from the casting and the narrative, another impressive aspect of First Man are the lunar sequences, which are stunning. A lot of the drama is grounded in the astronauts' lives, but when it does, quite literally, take flight, it does so breathtakingly. The sequences up in space are incredible with stunning cinematography by Linus Sandgren and perfect sound design by Justin Hurwitz, a frequent collaborator of Chazelle's who also scored La La Land and Whiplash. Hurwitz's score is powerful and captures the tone of First Man. Because of this, I recommend that First Man be watched on the big screen as I think that the impact of the special effects won't be as great on a smaller screen.
The period detail featured in First Man is impressive, including the look of the clothes, the cars, the outfits, and, in particular, the spacecrafts. There's so much rich detail to take in. Also, some of the voices heard in the film are actual recordings from the space program. For example, when Apollo 11 lands on the moon, the reply from Houston is the original. It's the voice of astronaut Charlie Duke, who had the job of communicating with Apollo 11 during the landing. Neil Armstrong (Gosling) says "Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle Has Landed", then Charlie Duke says "Roger, Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You've got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot." Most biopics aren't as faithful to its original source and tend to feature more differences than similarities, however, Chazelle wanted his feature to be as authentic as possible.
The directing by Chazelle is also very impressive. His previous features, Whiplash, and La La Land have both been successful, in terms of critical reception and at the Academy Awards, with Whiplash being nominated for a total of five Oscars and winning three, including Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmon's performance. La La Land received a total of six Oscars, including Best Leading Actress for Emma Stone, Best Director for Chazelle and Best Achievement in Cinematography for Sandgren. I have no doubt that his latest feature First Man will feature similar successes. It showcases the iconic moon landing and is a great tribute to Neil Armstrong, a man who will always be remembered for making history.
8/10