Le premier homme

The attempt to make it all feel dated and real worked well. There were no glossy space scenes. Add some interesting sounds and a lot of shakes can and the overal scene approach works.

But then there is the story. We all know what happens. So it was just about the angle they approached it at. Unfortunately they picked the boring angle.

The struggle with grieving was irritating. The lack of substance in the characters was disappointing. The frame was non existent. The length too long. The outcome underwhelming. The ending an anti climatic relief.

I will remember this film for the dirty toilets, great acting and my repeated checking of my watch. If you want to learn a tiny bit then watch it. But it is sadly no masterpiece. Let down but the story telling...

Recommend? Yes. On a Sunday...

'First Man' intrigued me from the get go. It was based on one of the most important and fascinating true stories and achievements there's ever been, and a very interesting man. It had talented actors such as Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy, both of whom have done a lot of fine work. And it was directed by Damien Chazelle, responsible for 'Whiplash' and 'La La Land' which for me were both among the best of their respective years.

Seeing 'First Man', there is a lot to admire and it was not a problem for me that it took a different approach and an unconventional way of executing a biopic. Can see why 'First Man' hasn't connected with others though, it is a polarising film where one can see both sides of like and dislike and part of me was a little disappointed. With so much going for it, one expects a great film but 'First Man' for me was only good and not as good as 'Whiplash' and 'La La Land'. Ranking it amongst other 2018 films seen, it's nowhere near among the worst it also falls short of being one of the best.

Starting with the not so good things, 'First Man' runs a little too long, something that would have been solved by trimming a few of the scenes that went on longer than they needed to. Which would have tightened some of the pacing, some of the film drags.

At times structurally it's disjointed, with some of the back and forth not always clear while aspects could have been delved into further. Do have to agree too sadly that the shakiness of the camera work was excessive at times, did feel queasiness on occasions. The ending felt anti-climactic.

However, on the most part 'First Man' is visually stunning. It's immaculately designed and there is a lot of atmosphere and elegance in the way it's shot, an effective claustrophobia in the more tense scenes being evoked. Not everybody has liked the music, personally found it very haunting and like with 'Whiplash' and 'La La Land' Chazelle's utilisation of it is masterly. Chazelle's unique directing style is all over the film.

The script is intelligent and thought-provoking and while the storytelling was not perfect mostly it did engross me and boasts some thrillingly tense moments (like one of my favourite opening scenes of the year), a subtle intimacy and emotional power. The human drama is affecting and the training and flight sequences tight and have a suitable tension and grandeur. The characters are not what one calls likeable but there is a realism to them and 'First Man' is very strongly acted. Ryan Gosling shows a remarkable ability of conveying a lot without having to say a lot in scenes while Claire Foy provides the film's emotional heft magnificently. There is a detachment in their chemistry but that worked considering the situation, coping with grief and loss does drive a wedge and push people away. The rest of the cast do well, with Corey Stoll surprisingly providing one of the more colourful performances.

Summing up, good but could have been better. Not a giant leap in film-making, not a small step either. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Having seen this film twice and liked it a lot, I also can understand why it has received so many harshly negative reviews. This is a character study of a famous man. However, it also strips away much of the glamour and nostalgia with which older Americans remember the space program. It has many scenes filmed in darker colors and deliberately has a claustrophobic feel to it. The handheld camera shots annoyed many viewers, but I felt that they symbolized the haphazard way in which the space program moved forward. As a country, we spent a lot of effort to lock up a few men, send them off into space, with the goal of having a photo-op on the moon before the Soviet Union got there. It is difficult for anyone who did not grow up before the 1980's to understand how frightened we were about the Soviet's lead in space exploration and how we made everything a battle between good and evil, with the Soviets being portrayed as evil. Given the logic of the Cold War, the notion of beating the Soviets to the moon made sense. We see a little of this emerging today with the fear of China, but it is hard for someone who did not live through the 1960's to appreciate how well this film captured what likely was going on under the hood.

For someone who wanted to see a real-life version of Star Wars, and wanted nonstop action, this is absolutely the wrong film to see. For someone who wanted a well-crafted study of a person who was really a pawn in the Cold War, this is a masterpiece. This is a film that bears additional viewings, becaus there were many scenes in which what was not discussed, but was in the background, whether it was the music, the staging, or the throwaway dialogue, was more important.

I did not give it a "!0" rating because I felt that it could have been 10-15 minutes shorter, retained the message and feel of the film, and been even more powerful as a result.

This movie is incredible! Brilliant Acting, intense rocket flights and a unbelievably beautiful Soundtrack. A glimpse into the life of Neil Armstrong. No hero. Never was, never will be. Just a civilian with willpower and a goal. Nothing more to say. For me its a masterpiece and I can not understand the bad review.

Very impactful, truly expressing the vulnerability, commitment, risk, and personal cost to those who braved the journey for humanity.