A film that focuses more on loss than gain.

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2019)

First man, although driven by the astonishing events of Apollo 11 and the greatest human achievement, focuses primarily upon what was lost in order to go to the moon, for all of NASA, the individual astronauts and the families if the men who gave their life for us to go to the moon.
To begin with, First Man is a beautifully crafted film that accurately displays the events of and leading up to Apollo 11. Chazelle uses the fearful emptiness of space as the metaphor behind the film emphasising what was lost on the journey to the moon. The original score from Justin Hurwitz not only shows the talent if this film duo, but how a soundtrack can develop a plot. The visual effects used fully deserved the Oscar it won, the film felt so immersive it is almost as if you are there with them. Technically this film was impeccable, everything felt in the right place and felt true to life. Simply fantastic.
The plot of First Man focuses fully on what was lost when humanity gained a new frontier. I feel it was a beautiful direction for the film to focus upon Armstrong's daughters death, and later on the moon this allows for a beautiful moment of reconciliation with Neil and his daughter. Throughout the film, there are more nods towards the mental factor of going to the moon and the toll it has upon the families who face the difficult task of waiting for their loved ones to return, and not knowing if they ever will.
First Man should be respected to the same extent as Apollo 13, both films have creatively immersed the viewer, however I believe First Man is an emotional drama rather than the adventurous plot of Apollo 13.
9/10