Bold and brave portrayal of a history known by all

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2018)

22 October 2018
Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight - First Man. This Biopic, which explores the life and the mind of one of history's most famous explorers, namely Neil Armstrong, first man to set foot on the moon, is one of the most intrepid and valiant films I have seen for some time. I have, for many years, had a fascination with space and the race to do everything first and have eagerly devoured any new film which covers the events of those exciting, nerve wracking, explorative times. Hollywood in true fashion either sensationalises, or dumbs down the actual events and although that doesn't necessarily make for a bad film, I'm always left with a feeling of unreality. First Man outshines all of those. This film delves into the depths of the men who had the courage and insanity to make those first forays into space, especially after setbacks which saw their fellow astronauts lose their lives, and the general public beginning to question whether their tax dollar might be better spent on something else. It seems only the determination to beat the Russians to the moon kept the space program alive, and to be honest I'm glad it did. This film was unusual in its portrayal of events, we were given gritty, shaky footage from inside the capsule, none of the grand scenes of the surrounding countryside with the camera swooping into a shot of a pristine rocket sitting on a launch pad. We were shown close ups of astronauts scared for their lives, sweat dripping down their faces, incapable of speaking and the relief they must have felt when each part of the mission succeeded. We also got a glimpse of the pressure felt by the families, and especially the children who even at their young ages must have feared for the return of their fathers. I loved this film and although there were many parts where there was no dialogue, no sound and sometimes no picture as we travelled through the depths of space, it spoke volumes to the audience. I hope we get more of this style of film in the future.