Academy Awards Watch – First Man Review: A Shaky Portrait of Neil Armstrong

 

First Man is the story of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling). Historically known as the person who walked on the moon before all others, First Man chronicles Armstrong’s path from civilian NASA test pilot in the early 1960s through his historic Apollo 11 flight in July of 1969. Through this journey, audiences get to experience what life was like for Armstrong through his eyes as an engineer, pilot, husband, father, and friend, and the strain his career had on many of his relationships.

What works in First Man are the lead performances and the simulations. As Armstrong, Gosling presents a man stoic and detached. This is likely incredibly accurate as one would imagine that in order to focus on the mission at hand, these astronauts would need to block out all distractions including personal engagements and becoming almost robotic in nature. To laugh and smile with loved ones would only remind Armstrong of the peril before him and the potential for loss, a potential emotional interference with his duties. On the opposite side is Neil’s wife Janet (Claire Foy) who displays a range of depth as a woman striving to be supportive amidst a stressful and strenuous situation that continues to wear at her as the moon launch nears. She’s forced to carry the full burden of the family, and audiences will sympathetically feel the exponential heaviness upon her shoulders throughout the course of the film.

RELATED: First Man: Trailer #3 Brings In A Familiar Voice

If one has a curiosity of what it feels like to walk in an astronaut’s boots, First Man presents the best opportunity to experience that. Director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land) makes the artistic decision to put audiences into a first-person point-of-view for the majority of the movie, meaning that when a craft is rumbling before takeoff and tumbling through space, the camera is essentially on a rollercoaster. First Man has very few sweeping landscape shots, choosing to show people what these astronauts saw and felt as they went on their missions in an up-close and personal way.

While First Man leverages its main talent well, it lacks an educational component that would have given it more depth. Furthermore, Chazelle’s technique, while offering a unique vantage point rarely used in space exploration films, relies on it a bit too much throughout the narrative.

If people are curious to know more how the Apollo 11 mission came to be, or the obstacles to the landing that were hidden from the public in order to maintain a positive worldwide perception, First Man does not offer any insight. Indeed, First Man is very much an external examination of Neil Armstrong from beginning to end, with emphasis on the external component. Audiences will watch his interactions with various people, but anything regarding Armstrong’s drive and intentions is left to interpretation and inference, which some may perceive as a missed opportunity to understand more about the man from a comprehensive perspective.

A note too about the aforementioned POV style—those prone to motion sickness should beware. Chazelle presents 95% of First Man in what is often colloquially referred to as “shaky cam.” This includes both the action sequences, but also quiet conversational scenes, likely to reinforce the sensation of being a fly on the wall throughout the entire film. The results include some rather intense movements and sequences during space flight ( imagine the camera in the middle of a gyroscope that is spinning out of control), coupled with trying to watch people talk while you stand on a small boat incessantly rocking in choppy waters. The lack of a break to regain footing on solid ground may put off some watchers.

It is easy to understand what Chazelle wanted to do with First Man—tell a different kind of story about the conquest of space, one from an intimate perspective. While Chazelle certain succeeds with that, many may find that being so close to subject matter results in a lack of new information and an unrelatable experience.

Recommended if you enjoyed: Apollo 13, The Right Stuff, Gravity

Final Grade: B

Likely Academy Award Nominations:

  • Best Actress – Claire Foy
  • Best Sound Mixing

Possible Academy Award Nominations:

  • Best Picture
  • Best Director – Damien Chazelle
  • Best Actor – Ryan Gosling

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