An excellent balance of humanity

Rating: 9/10 (17 April 2020)

A frank, pull-no-punches look at the personal and professional life of the failed test pilot and famed astronaut, Neil Armstrong. His is a tale of grand success and global recognition, of course, but also one of frequent, intense tribulation. From routine near-death experiences at the office to a mortally sick young daughter at home, Neil's life seems like a constant source of tension and immense emotional pressure. A quiet, reserved man, he internalizes most of that pain, but it's still evident. Ryan Gosling does a remarkable job at conveying this inner trauma, roiling behind a stoney poker face and a collected physical presence, and the film backs him up by presenting several situations in which that strict sense of cool personal composition literally saves his life. First Man spends a lot of time gazing inwardly, but that's balanced by a series of riveting, high-pressure scenes inside the cockpit. These are utterly insane; barely-contained chaos set to the tune of a constant, deafening roar, all kept in check via a series of well-timed switch flips and a whole lot of white-knuckled prayers. Space movies need never want for great action scenes, particularly when they're inspecting this particular age of DIY floundering, and this one provides yet another impressive step forward in that department. An excellent balance of humanity, practical science and death-defying physical risk-taking.