Genre: Drama; Biography
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Written by: Joseh Singer (based on the book by James R. Hansen)
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Ciarán Hinds, Patrick Fugit and Corey Stoll
In Theaters: October 12, 2018 (USA)
Forget the American flag controversy: First Man is much more than the space mission, it is a tale of grief and a tale of a dreaming and it is worth every penny you pay for the ticket!
Some people who watched the movie mentioned they "felt nothing", complained about "not interesting enough" or "there's no real thrill in it, we all know Armstrong made it to the moon" - but First Man must be seen as a character study rather than a thriller. It spends a lot of time exploring the years of the Gemini program and you only start having a glance about the Apollo missions when the movie almost enters the last act. Personally, there were times I forgot it was about Neil Armstrong and I really felt that sense of danger, so, if you go see the movie, just don't try to remind yourself about the history facts you already know during the movie. For me, First Man was the most satisfying cinematic experience since Dunkirk (yes, it beated Avengers: Infinity War and I loved the latest Avengers movie).
It's impossible not to praise Ryan Gosling performance. Here's he's amazing as the thoughtful engineer, moving as the grieving man and touching as the man who stares at the moon. It's a subtle, not showy, performance that could only come from a true actor at heart - it is refined and full of details and Gosling is amazing in the most silent scenes.
The movie belongs to Gosling: true, but he's backed by a great supporting cast. From Jason Clarke to the naïve acting turn from Fugit, to the cocky Corey Stoll's take on Buzz Aldrin... all the NASA boys who made part of Armstrong personal saga are portrayed beautifully in spite of the limited screen time the screenplay (and the director) give to the actors. But in terms of supporting cast, it's Claire Foy who shines the brighest! In a night full of stars, she's the moon. Thanks to a mix of close-ups, you can see a suffering wife who tries not to lose her husband, a woman decided to bury a part of her past in the name of her family's future. It's an inspired acting turn and while she's great when she's alone in some scenes, she almost reaches "tour de force" caliber performance when she's alongside Gosling. Just pay attention to 3 specific scenes [ MINOR SPOILERS ]: when Foy and Gosling are dancing, when she asks him to tell their children he's going to the moon and when she meets her husband after he's back from the moon [ END MINOR SPOILERS] - it's out-of-this-world acting!
The movie itself is a really well-made one: technically speaking. Damien Chazelle assembled most of his La La Land team and the result is A-level. The director's choice in the editing department must be singled-out and heavily praised: the use of small cameras in the astronaut helmets gives the audience a beautiful sense of proximity with the character. You can feel the sense of claustrophobia no matter how big the theater. This editing work,combined with the great cinematography bring some of the most spectacular images you'll see in a movie this year. Justin Hurwitz's score is fantastic and should receive every award of the season (again)!!! Visual effects are not extravaganza-like (MCU's style), but they're realistic and fit the movie's visual tone.
So, First Man might not be the adventure movie some people were expecting, but it is an excellent character study and historical drama. Damien Chazelle's vision as a director plays a big part in the movie's success and it's hard to imagine a different approach that could work this beautifully. It's a director's movie, for sure, but Chazelle finds room for its two stars, so First Man becomes a perfectly balanced movie. There are some "slow paced" moments, it's true, but the final result is worth the watching.
First Man is an intimate drama on an epic scale! In the end, I hope you feel a void inside your heart.
RATING: 4,5 / 5
Oscar potential categories:
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Damien Chazelle)
- Best Actor (Ryan Gosling)
- Best Supporting Actress (Claire Foy)
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Editing
- Best Cinematography
- Best Production Design
- Best Original Score
- Best Sound Editing
- Best Sound Mixing
- Best Visual Effects
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