“First Man,” featuring Ryan Gosling, tells the story of Neil Armstrong’s life and features the moon landing of Apollo 11. Courtesy of Universal Studios
By Bryce Lawson
Oscar-winning “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle and actor Ryan Gosling team up again for the film “First Man.”
The movie portrays the life of Neil Armstrong leading up to the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Although he was the first man on the moon, Armstrong faced many trials and tribulations in his life, which are shown masterfully through Chazelle’s direction.
There were certain points in this film where I thought, “This is one of the best-directed films I have ever seen.”
The film mainly consists of close-up shots, which allows the viewer to read the actors’ faces. This style of filmmaking fits perfectly for Gosling, an actor who conveys his messages using his face rather than with over-the-top method acting.
Throughout the film, Armstrong comes off as a cold man looking to complete the mission, but as the audience learns more about his past and the pain he holds inside, he becomes a more relatable character. Gosling’s performance will probably land him an Oscar nod at the least.
Claire Foy delivers a standout performance as Janet Shearon, Armstrong’s first wife. Foy’s role is crucial to the story; she grounds the film with a down-to-earth quality that can easily be overlooked with all the talk of space travel.
This film shows the huge risk involved with space travel. The physical and mental toll it can have on a person is shown like never before in a space film.
The space training and moon landing sequences are some of the most realistic space travel scenes in film history. The close-up shots put you face-to-face with the astronauts’ joys and fears as they progress into the claustrophobic unknown. The flight sequences can feel like a rollercoaster ride, and at times I felt like the theater may lift off.
Basically the only thing keeping this film from receiving a perfect score is the length. If one or two of the space conference sequences were cut, the film would flow smoother.
“First Man” is the best film I have seen so far this year. If you are looking for a heartfelt true story with groundbreaking space effects, definitely check out “First Man.”
4/5 stars
