First Man Is A Powerful Reminder Of What Humanity Can Accomplish

It's been a dark week in the United States... Pittsburgh, my adopted hometown, in particular.  The tragic shooting here has left us all with a horrible reminder of the worst in humanity.  And, for many of us, the rhetoric coming out of the oval office seems like a race to the bottom in many ways.  It was nice to go into a movie tonight and be reminded that we as a country can achieve greatness if we so choose.  First Man, shockingly the first true biopic about Neil Armstrong, shoots for greatness.  Directed with surgeon's focus by Damian Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash), and acted with a quiet but gritty focus by Ryan Gosling, First Man is a shining star in a world that needs one.

Gosling leads First Man's stellar cast.

What was most interesting to me about this film is that while the moon landing was one of the most memorable moments of all-time, I hardly knew anything about the man who took mankind's greatest leap.  Armstrong is portrayed as a man haunted by the loss of his daughter and space compatriots who uses that pain to keep pushing forward.  Gosling is remarkable in this role.  It was interesting to see just how much of a loner that Armstrong was.  He kept everyone, including his wife (portrayed with steel resolve by The Crown's Claire Foye) and kids, at an arm's length.  Even his fellow astronauts couldn't get a true read on him.  There's a moment towards the end of the film, where you finally see Armstrong let go of the inner pain that haunts him throughout it.  This moment could very easily have veered into cheesy territory, but it's done in such a way that had my eyes welling up.

Speaking of direction, a lot of this film's success is due to the tight direction of Damian Chazelle.  He truly takes a step forward with this film.  From start to finish, this film is presented in a restrained manner.  We are presented with the story in a way that rightly steers clear of hero worship, while showcasing just how great these people were.  Chazelle presents the story in a "warts and all" manner, showing the sacrifice and human toll of walking on the moon.  He also does a lot with the camera, editing, and sound design to show just how harrowing space travel is.  This is not a movie that's heavy on musical score.  Instead, Chazelle let's the shaking of the camera and sound of the launch tell the story.  It reminded me a lot of my favorite movie from last year, Dunkirk, in this way.  The claustrophobia of such a big moment made it so much more intimate for the audience that I found myself white knuckling my chair at many moments this year.

First Man is a top rate movie.  It showcases the best of humanity at a time when many of us need that reminder.  I'm giving it 3.8 out of 4 stars.  It'll certainly make my top 10 of the year and should be a major player during awards season.