"First Man" Review

Not many directors gain Oscar nominations for their first three films, yet Damien Chazelle has done exactly that with Whiplash, La La Land & now First Man.

The story of Neil Armstrong's mission to be the first man on the moon is anchored by a typically understated yet powerful performance by Ryan Gosling. Armstrong was not a fan of the media, and from all accounts was a very private person. Gosling brilliantly internalises the struggles that Armstrong had in his private and personal life.

Everyone knows the basic story of the Apollo 11 mission that finally landed Armstrong on the moon, yet less is widely known about all the trials and tribulations that many men and women at NASA went through to get to that point. With an early family tragedy as a motivation, the sheer amount of failures and near misses with death that Armstrong undergoes show how his steely resolve and calmness under pressure make him the perfect candidate for the Apollo 11 mission.

Claire Foy gives able support in what could have been another thankless 'wife at home' role. While their marriage is not perfect, she mirrors Goslings internal performance so that when the tension ratchets up in pivotal scenes she reacts as the viewer would in that situation due to the stoicism of Armstrong's character.

What is staggering about the true story backing this film is the amount of obstacles and tragedies that afflicted the NASA space program. For every leap forward, there was an equally pernicious setback. The film shows how Armstrong took all this in his stride even to the detriment of his personal live at times.

Whats good to see in the portrayal of the Armstrong family is that they were relatively normal under the obvious strains of the danger Neil was in. You almost understand why he is so quiet and unassuming, because that was his mechanism to cope with the pressure he was under. His wife Janet understands this, and gives you glimpses of her struggle to cope with the weight of expectation placed on him.

One of the standout scenes is when Janet makes Neil tell his children he might not be coming back. Indeed, in earlier scenes, we see that his kids are too young to comprehend what it is their father does for a living as they play around the living room while Janet sits glued to a NASA radio, relaying live audio of the mission.

One of my favourite aspects of Chazelle's direction is that, until we get to the moon, we never really see outside the cockpit of the shuttles and crafts. It creates an intimacy with Armstrong and connects us more to the character as we see the events unfold through his eyes and POV. Chazelle brilliantly makes the unknown and danger seem almost pedestrian through Gosling's performance. Armstrong rarely shows emotion in front of other people—his wife and children included—and it creates quite a quandary when analysing his character. He is the ultimate team player, he has no allusions of grandeur or outward notions of being a national hero; to him, it's just doing the job. There are several scenes where you'd expect a typical person to react with emotion, such as being informed of personally commanding the Apollo 11 mission, but Armstrong's lack of outward emotion and calmness under pressure is exactly what makes him the perfect choice for the mission.

The launch sequences are amazing, with deafening sounds of the shaking shuttle that absolutely draw the audience in. Chazelle really favours his close ups, constantly moving the camera and using Armstrong as the anchor for the film. Even in these launch sequences, Armstrong is solely focused on one spot through the shuttle window, and as all hell breaks lose around him his inner calm and focus grounds the film.

For me this is a definite Oscar calibre film. It has not had the best of starts at the box office, having come out at the same time as the infinitely more crowd friendly A Star Is Born, but Gosling's performance and Chazelle's direction deserve all the awards. Don't be surprised to see Clare Foy scoop at least a best supporting actress nod as well.