Painfully Average Account of an American Legend

Rating: 4/10 (3 January 2019)

When I find myself analyzing a film on it's first watch through - scrutinizing every detail: the good and the not so good... that is not a good sign. There are few people as easy to immerse into a movie than myself, as long as a movie is entertaining.
Here we have an amazing subject, who lived a very singular, heroic life - and we the audience get to spend 1/2 this movie in domestic situations? Often without the main character present? How dumb is that?
I know I should never want something from a film, specifically - so that when it does not deliver, I may ignore a movies actual merit. But come on! This isn't rocket science! Well... it is literally, but figuratively? Tell an exciting story about an exciting guy! When did he become a pilot? How many aircraft did he fly? How many times did he cheat death? How about actually focusing on his greatest achievement... the title of the film... and show how he was the tip of the spear, a main player in this technological expanse of our nation!
This movie comes off thinking an audience member would be more interested when Armstrong met his wife?!? How dumb is that?
If Neil Armstrong was so stoic, calculated and... dull - perhaps taking such a literal/grounded approach to his character was a mistake! But I learned something? Really? This must be one of the worst arguments for a feature length motion picture - if a film doesn't entertain, any unloading of information is irrelevant.
From a production standpoint, this isn't a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination. The special effects crew should be really pleased with their work (in about 5% of the movie, when you can actually see what is going on). The effects have a retro look that fits the style of the film, yet a clarity and resolution that is quite beautiful to behold. So... lets put the camera 2 inches from the characters face in the most intense sequences that could utilized for wonderful special effects... How dumb is that? Yea, as a viewer, I want to look at a shaking helmet for 10 strait minutes instead of seeing exterior views of an intense event. Actually? I don't.
It's funny, thinking back - this movie actually makes me angrier now than when I was watching it. First Man is well made, and I was kinda into it, like I said, fully analyzing everything when viewing, instead of being lost in the experience, like any good director would prefer. Now? I'm just amazed by a series of choices the film makers made to hold this project back: script emphasizing domestic life, action sequences highlighted by incomprehensible close ups and clattering noise, and portraying the hero as a stoic, math head. I left this film, somehow caring less about these events than more - I had to do some reading and watching of interviews on youtube to rekindle my fascination and interest in the man. And that is pathetic. In this way, for me - this movie is a disgrace.
Well made movie that made a lot of baffling choices: 4/10 - actually? I enjoyed this film less that that.