Emotionally powerful with breathtaking set pieces.

Rating: 9/10 (27 October 2018)

You know how this story ends. Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) takes one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind. The destination is not what's important here though, it's the journey. And what one hell of a journey. Coming off back-to-back critical darlings Whiplash and La La Land, filmmaker Damien Chazelle launches into biopic territory for his most mainstream movie yet. There may not be drumming solos and musical numbers, but Chazelle looks as comfortable as ever. His take on the story homes in on the domestic turmoil surrounding Armstrong's unwavering ambition; the sacrifices made, by both himself and wife Janet (Claire Foy), in the pursuit of something arguably more important than any one individual. Foy and Gosling are engrossing together on screen, his compartmentalised pain clashing against her unwillingness to let him slip away quietly. It's emotionally ferocious, and awards beckon for both actors. Chazelle doesn't let his stars do all the heavy lifting though, the flight sequences are visceral, claustrophobic and nerve-shreddingly intense. Whether it's a lunar flight test, a rocket lift-off or a pod landing, each sequence of flight is completely immersive. Composer Justin Hurwtiz and the sound design team deserve huge kudos; the powerful score combines superbly with the tension-building sound effects to really put the icing on the cake. It's testament to Chazelle's immense talent that the entire climactic sequence, all 30 minutes of it, is suspenseful, poignant and breathtaking, despite the outcome being known in advance. Biopic storytelling done right, First Man elevates above genre clichÃ©s to deliver a riveting domestic drama amongst a back drop of stunning space set-pieces.