Come Fly with Me

Rating: 8/10 (13 October 2018)

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.".
Neil Armstrong did the impossible in 1969. As the U.S. and the Russians ran a cut-throat competition to see who could reach new imperial heights in outer space, it was Armstrong, Aldrin and all the good folks at NASA that took it upon themselves to wage an all-out, all costs battle to touch our lunar friend in the sky, plant our flag and mark it ours. They all did just that on July 20th, 1969 as millions of Americans sat in front of their TV sets and watched the first ever glimpses of the surface of our moon. Ever since, space travel has expanded and advanced to heights beyond our wildest dreams and to think there's an eternity left to be discovered. But the story of the moon landing has just as much to do with the man that Armstrong was as it does with the nation that let him pursue his remarkable journey. First Man is perhaps the most fitting cinematic memorial of one of the most incredible men that ever lived.
Walking out of the screening, I kept thinking how impossible it was to imagine anyone having brought this film to life other than Damien Chazelle. If Whiplash was an excruciating assault of the senses detailing the teeth-nashing art of drumming, First Man is a sensory body blow that needs to be experienced on the largest screen possible and the loudest sound system you can find. Chazelle found a way to place us right there in the spacecraft. The shaking, the pounding, the soaring and the crashing into earth. I hear simulators on Earth can gives us near perfect space travel experiences, but the entire masterful opening sequence will suffice for me. I was clawing the back of my seat. It's a moment in film you'll never forget. Even more so is the final sequence on the moon. Armstrong exits the ship, and the soundtrack cuts out immediately. You take it all in. The miles of sediment leading to a black abyss. You look up, and there's Earth staring back at you. The only thing we see of Armstrong is the reflection on his helmet of what's in front of him. Apollo 13, eat your heart out for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In between the breathless, action-packed space travel sequences is an unexpected emotional journey into Armstrong's family life. The loss of his youngest daughter, and his wife, Janet, who begs him never to travel to the moon, out of certainty that he'd be gone soon after. Claire Foy is a powerhouse and steals the show as she corners the boys at NASA for a stern talking to. Never get in the way of the strong woman behind every great man. These scenes don't carry the effectual gravitas of the scenes in outer space, rather, they come across as home movies, complete with a shaky 16mm camera. Authenticity is what is being strived for here, and it sure accomplishes that. What is also not lost in First Man is Chazelle's ear for good music and how to utilize it powerfully. First Man is no musical, that's for certain, but throughout the film, little cues from scratchy records of the 1950's captures the tenderness of Neil and Janet, and the underlying love story that thematically bookends our experience.
This is a story not just about accomplishment, but self pride and selfless love of those that are nearest to you. It's what keeps us all going, and it's comforting to know that it's what got Mr. Armstrong to the moon. This has been a long winded explanation in telling you all that First Man shouldn't be missed this season.