An intimate take on the Moon landing

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2020)

"First Man" was very different from what I expected because it's not the story of the first man to ever walk on the Moon but this is just the setting. The film is more interested in his feelings, in telling the story of an introvert man who never fully managed to move on after the death of one of his relatives. And in this way the viewer experience a sympathy for that man and is able to relate with him rather than merely watching his triumphs and failures. Ryan Gosling gives a great performance as Neil Armstrong but also Claire Foy as his wife is very good. The director Damien Chazelle did a fantastic job, especially in the flight scenes where he decided to mostly only use a point of view placed inside the vehicle. This and the frenetic camera movements that simulate strong turbulence makes you feel there in full anxiety. Regarding the score, it was great and we should agree that the Chazelle-Hurwitz duo is phenomenal.
So "First Man" is a slow paced movie whose focus is on the emotions of a man. Yes, it is a biopic about Neil Armstrong and has also the structure of the genere but it's even something deeper that manages to reach the viewer in a very positive way.