Didn't expect this

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2019)

Usually space movies are all whooshy and starry, with cool adventure equipment, all polished and clean, with brave heroes all perfect and willing. This film is so totally different I was completely stunned. It's an amazing achievement in all ways, understated, dirty, emotional, scary, brutal, even horrific. Captures what space travel must have been, and how absolutely mad it was to attempt it. Chazelle pulls off something unusual and delicate in among the mess of men playing astronauts, men doing really horrible, filthy, hard work because they believe in mankind, and the women who support them just as tough and adventurous rather than just mommies at home. I want to watch it again - terrifying beginning!