First Rate

Review of First Man (2018) by nezzkobdamned: 👍 9.9/10

What a spectacle this is. First Man doesn't dumb down the world of space travel in the '60s, and that makes the sequences involving it that much more agonising, even though you know what the outcome is.

The sound department also plays its part, capturing every clank, hiss, and rattle of the spacecraft during takeoff so you can almost feel how close they are to just cracking. You have an air of uncertainty in a biopic is an admirable achievement.

Ryan Gosling's subdued acting style works here, showing Armstrong as a man suffering grief and focusing on work to keep it at bay. Claire Foy is excellent too, really selling the emotional gymnastics Armstrong's wife is put through.

This is a beautifully shot film, with a hypnotic soundtrack, and after hearing claims of how ordinary it is from a few people, it surprised me with how affecting and mesmerising it can be.

The haunting, achingly beautiful finale still hits, especially because of the soundtrack (The Landing is one of my favourite pieces of music in recent memory). Considering this is a straightforward biopic, it's really impressive that director Damien Chazelle makes it feel like something else entirely.