First Man review

FIRST MAN:

RYAN GOSLING LANDS ON THE MOON AND CARRIES A THRILLING, EMOTIONAL JOURNEY WITH HIM!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS PICTURES

Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong in First Man

            Ryan Gosling (Drive, La La Land, Blade Runner 2049) reunites with Oscar winning director, Damien Chazelle (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, Whiplash, La La Land) in the new biopic, First Man, based on the true story of astronaut Neil Armstrong and how he went down in history as the first man who landed on the moon. The film itself is an adaptation of James R. Hansen’s book, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, and there were talks of adapting it into a movie dating back to 2003.

            Originally Clint Eastwood, who had previously Space Cowboys in 2000, was set to direct the film under Warner Bros. (Having some déjà vu here) but it never came through. Ultimately, Universal and DreamWorks picked up the rights in the mid-2010s and after Chazelle and Gosling received acclaim for 2016’s La La Land, they were brought in to bring this moment of history to the screen.

            I was hyped for this movie when I saw the trailers, both Ryan Gosling and Damien Chazelle already won me over many times before. A cinematic depiction of the 1969 Apollo 11 landing on the moon with Gosling portraying Neil Armstrong? I’m in.

            While I wouldn’t say it’s quite on par with Chazelle’s previous films, it’s still a pretty damn incredible experience. From the special effects and perilous sequences to the camera work and acting, it really feels like history has come alive and that you’re watching footage from the actual landing.

             However, First Man doesn’t focus entirely on the moon landing but rather the years leading up to it and the impacts it had on everyone. Most of the movie revolves around the drama, training, and bumps in the road that happened at NASA while they were preparing for it.

            From injuries, malfunctions, and even death, Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll-House of Cards, The Strain, Ant-Man), and the rest of their crew must face impossible odds and the chance that they might not make it back home as the clock ticks closer to launch day. The film glorifies the moon landing event but also walks the line of asking, was it all worth it?

            Back in 1969, it was a dream to be able to fly to the moon, but a lot of people lost their lives trying to make it happen. The film addresses the impacts it had on the astronauts’ family members, NASA, and the world in general.

            The movie also focuses a lot on Neil Armstrong’s family, particularly his wife, Janet, played tremendously by Claire Foy (Wreckers, Unsane, The Girl in the Spider’s Web) which gives more of an emotional depth to the film. When Neil has to leave her and his children to go to the moon, she shows both enthusiasm that her husband is about to make history and concern that he might not make it back during the mission, it’s very relatable whether your loved one is an astronaut in space or a soldier in a war.

            The performances from both Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy are stellar, what I appreciate about Gosling on-screen is that he never looks or acts like he’s trying to win an Oscar. He plays the part of Armstrong very natural and despite being a very quiet and subdued actor, manages to say a lot and be emotional with little dialogue.

            Claire Foy I’ll go on record and say almost upstages Gosling in certain parts of the film, she depicts the concerns Janet Armstrong had when Neil went to the moon and the difficult times of raising their children all by herself. She shows excitement and fear about the mission and goes to extreme lengths to ensure that her husband is safe and alive, such as storming into NASA and demanding the radio signals be turned back on and getting Neil to talk with their children about the mission and that he might not make it back, I’m hoping she’ll be nominated for her performance here.

            The special effects are quite impressive in the movie, most of the effects are done practically so what you’re seeing on-screen is really there. In fact, there were times where I couldn’t even tell what was CG and what was actually in front of the camera.

            Besides the acting and visuals, the directing and camera work are also aspects to be admired, Damien Chazelle has a clear understanding of the event and honors Neil Armstrong’s legacy but doesn’t shy away from the difficulties that came along the way. He even chose to shoot the film on 35mm film cameras and the graininess of the picture quality adds more to the historical authentication while shooting the lunar sequence in IMAX.

            This is a movie that was made for IMAX and takes full advantage of what the format can do, the moon landing sequence looks incredible on the giant screen and the booming sounds of the rocket taking off really makes you feel like you’re in space. I wouldn’t say it’s as impressive as Gravity, but it still looks and sounds unbelievable when watching it in the IMAX format.

            First Man honors the legacy of Neil Armstrong and celebrates one of the most famous events in American (and world) history while delivering a thrilling and captivating journey. We probably can’t go back to the moon right now but seeing this movie on IMAX would be the next best thing.