Damien Chazelle, the youngest recipient of the Best Director Oscar, did not come to play. Chazelle’s new drama First Man is the story of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), the first person to take steps on the moon. But before the legendary Apollo 11 mission that turned him into an American icon, Armstrong is a father and a husband, desperate to save his daughter from a brain tumour.
This film will likely anger many moon-landing deniers but it’s a magical and immersive story of collective effort, heartbreak and grief. It’s told through uncomfortable and at-times suffocating close-ups. It gives very little breathing space and makes you appreciate every single wide shot, but it pays off. You don’t go to see First Man to look at someone make one the most dangerous and difficult journeys imaginable, you go to experience it alongside them.
First Man is a presentation of near-flawless filmmaking, acting and directing. The performances are so faultless it’s almost annoying. Chazelle has been taking calculated and confident strides towards the ultimate greatness – Whiplash put him at the top of the game and La La Land kept him there. First Man may seem like a safe story to tell, but that’s where the biggest threat to Chazelle’s perfect track record lies – the danger of becoming dull. First Man may be a secure choice, but it is also proof that Chazelle knows how to make a movie about something other than jazz.
One of the most emotionally-charged moments in the movie comes from a rather cold and impersonal interaction between Armstrong and his sons. Before the trip to the moon, Armstrong sits his kids down to tell them their father, while with “every intention of coming back”, might not. The discussion resembles a press conference – Armstrong answers questions in a rehearsed, unfatherly way. But Gosling shows Armstrong to be guarded, not cold, and that makes all the difference. If Gosling has any fears or insecurities regarding this role, it’s hard to tell.
Claire Foy plays Janet Armstrong, Neil’s wife, and brings a powerful presence to the film. Foy works well with what she’s given, and she’s not given a lot. Not once did we get a glimpse of Janet The Person – her identity exists only when she is with her husband and/or children. We only ever see Janet looking after her kids or, when she’s at a funeral, helping in the kitchen. It’s when she storms the NASA offices and calls them “a bunch of boys” who “don’t have anything under control” that earns Janet the respect she should’ve been given a long time ago.
One of the best moments in the film is when Armstrong, after spending years looking through his telescope, looks up at the Earth from the moon. It shows us how small we are, how utterly insignificant in relation to the rest of the universe. Yet it’s also the moment you sigh in relief and think, that’s home. It’s a great moment and makes the long wait worthwhile. First Man is way more than one man’s tragic, crazy, beautiful journey. It’s history in the making. Oh and Buzz Aldrin is also there.
