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This is a movie which is not presented as a fun, space adventure, but as a solemn and harrowing look at Neil Armstrong personally during his period as an astronaut for NASA throughout the 1960s. Slow-paced and serious in tone, this style isn't for everyone, which is understandable, but I found this to be a masterfully crafted film which goes beyond a standard biopic and utilising an interesting angle to examine its main protagonist. The film really does go slow, sometimes to a fault as some scenes drag on a bit too much, but not as to make the entire film boring or monotonous. And we get a view of Neil Armstrong as a very stoic, often emotionless man. You may feel that this character is a bit personally detached from the audience, but it actually creates a real look at Armstrong's personality. And this is why much of this film is dedicated to displaying his family life, as how his personality and duties as an astronaut (especially by the time the Apollo 11 mission comes round the corner) influence the relationship with his family. The dynamic between Neil and his wife Jane is arguably the best element of this film's narrative, as her qualms resulting from Neil's busyness reveals so much about the one theme Chazelle loves to focus on in his films: the troubling side-effects of single-mindedly pursuing an ambition. The performances by Ryan Gosling and especially Claire Foy are fantastic: some of my favourite scenes were when Foy's character took centre stage. And the camerawork, while admittedly making me feel a bit dizzy during the spaceship sequences, adds a sense of authenticity to the whole film. And the space sequences are gorgeous too! This movie is worth the try at least and quite unique for its genre.

Everything about this film is brilliant and goes together perfectly. Both Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's singing and acting are absolutely on point. Gaga's vocal talent has never been in doubt, and it obviously comes through here, but her performance as Ally is sensational; all the emotions her character experiences are portrayed so authentically, she really knocked it out of the park. This is also arguably Bradley Cooper's greatest performance of his career (yes, even greater than Silver Linings Playbook and American Sniper!!) as the way he presents Jack Maine, a once-great musician on the decline due to alcoholism and drug abuse, is compelling and similarly authentic. His singing is amazing as well!! It's hard to believe his lack of a musical background when you hear his voice. The chemistry between the two in their onscreen romance is about as real as it gets, setting the tone for the rest of the story.

The way Cooper directed this movie was also immaculate. Utilizing a timeless story that had been shown onscreen three times prior to this, he draws out the emotional power contained within the storyline so beautifully. At its core, this film is a deeply affecting one, and it's presented to the audience in such a real way, without seeming fake or manipulative- as you see this the two fall in love, Ally's rise to stardom, Jack's struggles catching up with him and how it affects the dynamics between them and the rest of the characters- it all unfolds in such a gripping manner. Truly a magnificent movie musical with great songs, great acting (including from all the supporting actors, especially Sam Elliott playing Jack's brother), a deeply touching story, directed superbly and totally worthwhile seeing!!

Mudbound is not a feel-good film filled with laughs or thrills, rather is defined by its somber tone and grim look at the lives of two families of farmers living in rural Mississippi during the WWII era, one white and one black. The lives of all the characters are impacted by war, trauma, prejudice, impoverishment and tragedy- all themes that ordinary people are able to relate to. So to witness these things play out in their lives, and see how it affects them and how they deal with it, makes for a fervently compelling and relatable story, even helping you empathise with people who are in similar situations. And ultimately, this is the greatest strength of the film; even though on the surface, the story seems to be mainly about the historical backdrop of World War II and the racial tensions of that era, it really is primarily a look those downtrodden, impoverished, lowly members in our society and the struggles that have to deal with. That is what makes this film so beautiful and moving, and it never comes across as preachy or formulaic. It goes beyond a typical historical drama, as the arc of this film never becomes overly entrapped in its historical setting or wallows too much in its anti-racism message.

The acting in this film, from every character, is top class. The cinematography and production design of this film is also gorgeous- the movie is a very good-looking one. And the script fleshes out the characters seamlessly, giving each character enough time and drawing out their backstories. The narrative manages to hold itself together well. Different aspects within the story- Laura and Henry's struggles within their marriage, the friendship forged between Jamie (a white man) and Ronsel (a black man), the sickening bigotry of the white family's patriarch- they all add different dimensions to the story so as to make it layered and multi-dimensional. The film seems to go slowly at moments but fortunately not too much to make it boring. I believe this is one of the best movies of 2017, and its a shame that this didn't get a Best Picture nomination when it certainly is superior to some of the ones that were nominated (such as Darkest Hour and The Post, which I feel are pretty formulaic historical dramas that lack Mudbound's cutting edge). It's a Netflix original, so for anyone on that site and hasn't watched this, I really recommend you check it out.