Review: First Man

"When you get a different vantage point, you get a different perspective," Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) says in First Man, Damien Chazelle's coolly elegant, solemn yet stirring drama about Armstrong and the events that led up to the historic moon landing. Indeed, Chazelle's particular vantage point that has already proven divisive for viewers expecting to see a chest-thumping, flag-waving type of biography. Chazelle's decision not to show the American flag being planted on the moon is a particular point of contention, yet the choice is a valid one for this film is about the man, and the men who allowed Armstrong his achievement, and not the country who took credit for that "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

The film begins with a flight sequence that is both dangerous and exhilarating as Neil navigates a ship as it ascends, bounces off the Earth's atmosphere, and returns back on solid ground. Time and time again, Yes, there are moments that take the breath away as Neil stares out into the near-blackness of space but, time and time again, Chazelle demonstrates how those moments of beauty are surrounded by the nagging fear that one could die at any moment. In many respects, one is already a hero by agreeing to step into a capsule that is essentially a deathtrap.

Death is a constant presence in this film, whether it be the death of Armstrong's young daughter from cancer or the deaths of his colleagues. These are the burdens that he carries, but their weight does not decrease his determination to keep going. Viewers may find Armstrong difficult to crack - he's cerebral, contained and stoic - yet Chazelle's decision to essentially make the film a first-person procedural offsets any potential schmaltz and melodrama and allows viewers to experience everything as Armstrong does and, by doing so, builds tension and suspense for an outcome that is already well-known.

Gosling delivers his most mature performance to date as the taciturn Armstrong, whilst Claire Foy makes the most of her few scenes as Armstrong's steely and supportive wife, Janet. Both are surrounded by a sterling supporting cast that includes the likes of Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Jason Clarke, Shea Whigham, Patrick Fugit, and Lukas Haas. Like Armstrong himself, Chazelle's direction is assured yet unfussy. Technical contributions are excellent and Mary Ellis' sound design and Justin Hurwitz's score prove that First Man is a musical in its own right, a discordant one marked by whirrs and beats and clicks and deep drops into silence.

First Man

Directed by: Damien Chazelle

Written by: Josh Singer, James R. Hansen

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Pablo Schreiber, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Lukas Haas, Shea Whigham, Brian d'Arcy James, Cory Michael Smith, Ciarán Hinds, Ethan Embry