First Man

Damien Chazelle has already proven himself to be one of the freshest new directors of the decade so far. Even after delivering the hard-hitting Whiplash and the emotionally-wrecking and whimsical La La Land, he still knows how to surprise fans of his work, returning to the silver screen with grace. Combining every element of his previous outings that made him a household name, Chazelle makes sure the audience feels every ounce of power that he's thrown into his latest directorial effort. Oddly enough, it's his first foray into biopic territory, a zone where many revered filmmakers have failed to capture the reality of the moment they're attempting to bring to life.

Going in, you'll already know how the movie ends, which is the problem mo...

A really encouraging film for a historic event. The music and silence are playing so well with each other. I am glad that the directors and actors did not waste a wonderful story. Though I always think the leading actor's appearance is significantly different from origin Neil, it does not affect the intense feelings.

Every time that someone's on a spacecraft, I was into First Man. It might genuinely be the first time I didn't hate scenes shot with continual use of shaky cam, which is noteworthy. But by and large First Man was not for me, biopics often aren't, and First Man is absolutely a biopic. It's not about NASA, or the Space Race, or landing on the moon, on astronauts, those things are present, but it's about Armstrong. I know that, because he is the only person, place or thing we get any real insight into.

Final rating:½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didnt quite work as a whole.

Aesthetically laudable, emotionally vapid

I am comfortable with my level of public discourse.

• Neil Armstrong declining to be interviewed for "Armstrong's Code" (Kathy Sawyer); The Washington Post (July 11, 1999)

More an intimate character drama than a grandiose examination of man's place in the cosmos, First Man is far more concerned with domesticity than the actual journey to the moon, attempting to demonstrate that behind the great moments of history exist personal demons and private motivations. Nothing wrong with that of course contextualising small character beats against a larger historical canvas can produce excellent cinema. Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line (1998), for example, uses the Battle of Guada...

Showing us the physical and emotional challenges Armstrong had to endure, the first half is already impressive, but the exciting landing scene and stunning moon scenes near the ending make First Man a true and rare experience.

9/10