First Man
2018
***½
Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Christopher Abbott, Ciarán Hinds, Olivia Hamilton, Lukas Haas, Pablo Schreiber, Shea Whigham
A biopic of Neil Armstrong (1930–2012), the first man to walk on the moon. The story begins in 1961, when his two-year-old daughter dies. Armstrong joins NASA, but throughout his career as a test pilot and astronaut—leading up to the Apollo 11 mission in 1969—he is haunted by this personal loss. Damien Chazelle’s well-staged film compellingly shows that death was an ever-present threat hanging over the lives of Armstrong, his wife, his children, his friends, and his colleagues. However, despite the highs (space exploration successes) and lows (expected and unexpected deaths), the drama remains oddly detached and emotionless, much like its protagonist, who is a bit of a bore. It does not help that the performances are understated to the extreme. However, the sound design, with all its creaks and clanks, is very effective. The impressive visual effects won an Academy Award. Based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen.
