If the internet was burning down and I could only save one thing I would choose the video of Buzz Aldrin in his 70's decking a 40-something moon landing denier. First Man is the only film about the Apollo missions that captures how singularly terrifying they were. I didn't think the moon landing kooks could make me any angrier but damn it if this movie didn't help me understand Buzz's righteous fury even more.
Neil Armstrong's life was hell. He lost experiential pilot friends as often as if they were in front line combat. He watched his 3 year old daughter wither and die from a brain tumor. I can't think of an actor more suited to capture his silent suffering better than Gosling. I've been back and forth on the guy for years. I used to think he slept walked through Drive but I've learned to appreciate how much he can do with someone as deceptively bland as Neil. If you're still hating on the man and you haven't seen The Nice Guys you should do yourself a favor and get googling.
The earth bound parts do sag a little. Claire Foy doesn't get much to do as Neil's wife/therapist. Though its something to see the emotional crow baring she has to do to coax a damn sentence out of her man. Dead daughter or no, First Man isn't afraid to portray its lead as a self involved ass. Speaking of, I really like the way the film handles the kids. They're fidgety, inarticulate, and always want to be somewhere else. They feel real kids. Also shout out to composer Justin Hurwitz for his sci-fi waltz score. Bonus points for his unironic, full-throated, use of a theremin. If you're not gonna bust that out for a space race movie then when goddammit?
What makes this Damien Chazelle's best film is his grasp of not just tension but horror. The fact he wrote 10 Cloverfield Lane was not lost on me when the Gemini spin out sequence made me physically ill. The score almost becomes a psycho homage with shrieking synth strings. It's amazing how much it grabbed me even when I knew exactly what was going to happen.
The moon mission itself is beautiful if a bit more relaxed than the rest of the movie. It pretty much went off without a hitch, not much for a screenwriter to do there. I'm also disappointed Michael Collins, as in life, gets no attention. "If they fail to rise from the surface, or crash back into it, I am not going to commit suicide," he wrote in his book. "I am coming home, forthwith, but I will be a marked man for life and I know it." You're telling me you couldn't get some compelling screen time out of that existential crisis?! Booooo.
If you're into biopics and the space race in general, then you need to see this. Its different enough and masterful in spurts. If this isn't your bag it may come off as just another love letter to a dead white guy. Its not and it shouldn't but I can see how some could feel that way. First Man doesn't land smoothly, but it lands.
Alright. Ya sold me, ya bastard.
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