EXHILARATING AND CLAUSTROPHOBIC AT TIMES

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2019)

SPOILER-FREE
Have you ever want to be an astronaut? I'm sure most of us if not all, have dreamt it. Well now you can (or at least as close as you can) by watching this film. This film depicts a very realistic view on being an astronaut when space exploration is still relatively new. It's definitely not at all glamorous as we've all imagined it to be. They (NASA and the astronauts) went through a lot of scrutiny before that successful Apollo 11 mission.
The film follows the trials and tribulations Neil Armstrong had to went through before making history. If you're going in hoping for a science fiction film, then you might be disappointed. It's more biopic dan sci-fi. However, I can say it's more real science than most sci-fi. Why?
Well, for instance it shows what went through when a space mission is happening. Even the slightest miscounted steps can make you go off course quite far. You need many readjustments and the ability to adapt to any changes and challenges. It shows the training needed to be one. And also the brains. Imagine, a chapter of physics consists of 600+ pages, which they need to go through in one lecture.
The cinematography of the film is spectacular. Most of the scenes were shot brilliantly, especially the Agena attaching scene. Linus Sandgren definitely managed to show his wide range of skills. You will feel what Neil and the others felt during that time. You might feel uncomfortable, anxious, claustrophobic, sweaty and nauseating. Hell, I'm not even surprised if some did threw up watching the film. It's that real. You feel like you yourself is the astronaut going to space.
Meanwhile, the score choice of the film is very interesting. Usually, a sci-fi film would use epic or alien sounding score for these films. But the film instead uses old 50s and 60s music, which actually quite appropriate given the time period. Who would've thought that old classic music would fit so seamlessly in a sci-fi film? Props for them on using that advantage. It's probably why La La Land won that many awards.
The only downside to this film is it's a bit long, sitting in at about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Therefore, it's definitely not for people with short attention span. Other than that, it's a near perfect film. Definitely try and watch this on IMAX theatre if you can.