The Story you think you know.

Rating: 8/10 (14 October 2018)

First Man, starring Ryan Gosling, and Claire Foy, with Damien Chazelle directing, he of La La Land, and Whiplash. This film was I think a progression of both styles.
First Man, is the story of Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon, and his journey not only in space, but of the NASA programme for the previous 10 years. However, rather than go the grand adventure route, which it most certainly does include in the film, its more of an introverted look at the life of the Armstrong family and what they went through. Opening with an early test flight of his as a civilian pilot and the death of his young daughter, slowly from cancer. This film actively avoids lingering on anything of the wider issues, Racism, Government policy, the Soviets vs America, or Kennedy's promise. it certainly doesn't ignore the politics behind the story, but it is always from the angle of NASA looking out at it, and swiftly returns to the man in the middle.
Through the use of intimate handheld cameraing and very quiet, close moments at the beginning especially but used throughout, you are thrust straight into the life of this man, and feel transported along with him. The sound design is incredible and even when dealing with Space, they keep it very close and intimate, how these men actually felt in the tiny cramped modules and suits.
Gosling gives a great performance, but it would be nothing without the natural presence of Foy, who utterly convinces as the quietly pained and suffering wife/mother. The superb support cast, littered with talent, again play well, but always remain bit parts to intense concentration on the Armstrongs, Neil in particular, of course. As in Whiplash, its an intense two hander between these two people, there just happens to be the most famous story in history happening at the same time. They marry these two challenging scales very well.
The weight of history is almost inevitably where this film reaches issues. How to retell a story that everyone upon everyone knows, and worst, has their own version of what actually happened? You can never really lose the sense that you spend 2 hours just waiting to here that line! When it actually comes to this point, they handle it well, and predictably/cautiously give it over to a very human moment with Neil Armstrong remembering his lost daughter. But throughout the NASA parts of the film, they retain that sense of them taking a massive unknown risk, which for me was beautifully reflecting in Armstrong actually taking the first step, where he hesitated because no one actually knew if the surface was even solid!
This film achieves big and small at the same time and at points is almost breathless in its intensity. A throughly good cinema experience and a film, that quietly asks a question of you and your place in it all. But how could the greatest story, not ask such question. 8/10