“One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”
First Man proves to be an honorable take on Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon. Ryan Gosling reteams with his La La Land director Damien Chazelle, proving once again that this dynamic duo knows how to deliver a solid effort.
Gosling stars as Armstrong. The movie chronicles his journey from being a test pilot selected for Project Mercury to being an astronaut for the Gemini mission. It also details his personal life to great effect, especially the death of his two-year-old daughter Karen who suffered from a tumor and pneumonia. Claire Foy (The Crown) plays his wife, Janet.
In its basic structure, First Man plays like a conventional biopic, but there are a lot of quiet dialogue-driven scenes both with NASA as well as on Armstrong’s home front. I give the movie a tremendous amount of credit for keeping a decent pace throughout. The dialogue works as it explores Armstrong’s determination to see the U.S. reach the moon before the Russians and his uncertainty about whether or not he will return home to his wife and two sons.
The other supporting actors are equally as effective including Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin, Jason Clarke as Ed White, and Kyle Chandler as Deke Slayton. Each of these actors are given weight, depth, and screen time in order to build their respective real-life counterparts and not serve as caricatures.
When we do get to the actual moon landing, it’s impressively staged. I say it’s impressively staged because the special effects do not allow the actors to be upstaged. Director Chazelle and his crew have created a believable and authentic depiction of the moon and the landing in convincing detail.
Gosling continues to prove to be a fine actor and he does a good job in the role, but there are some moments where you feel he’s not quite embracing it. There are some moments that require him to struggle, but Gosling chooses to play it stoic. Instead of having any kind of emotional resonance or psychological insight, he keeps pressing forward with the mission. That’s a minor issue in a mostly committed performance.
There’s been some debate about the ending not showcasing the American flag being planted on the moon, but I think it’s of small consolation mainly because the movie’s focus is on Armstrong as a man and not just the mission. Some audiences may be offended or disappointed while others may ignore it.
Gosling and Chazelle have delivered another home run and I would love to see what they concoct next. For Gosling, it may be one small step, but for Chazelle, it’s another giant leap.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG-13 for some thematic content involving peril, and brief strong language.)
