First Man movie review: Ryan Gosling shines as Neil Armstrong

In his first film since La La Land, Damien Chazelle’s First Man is visually spectacular and features an inspired performance from Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong.

Should man go to the moon? Does man belong on the moon? Is it worth the risk? To quote former President John F. Kennedy, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard!” For Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) in First Man, conquering the unknown was a challenge he was willing to face for the good of mankind.

Ryan Gosling stars as American hero Neil Armstrong in First Man, based on the 2005 book from author James R. Hansen. Although Americans consider him a hero, Gosling portrayed Armstrong as a quiet, respectful astronaut who would rather learn about the physics of rockets than bask in the spotlight. Gosling’s humility sets the tone of the film, which focuses on Armstrong as a person instead of the legend the American people public built for him.

From the opening scene, the film is full of twists, turns, and turbulence. Director Damien Chazelle purposely allows the audience to feel dizzy and sick as the camera shakes and barrel rolls to represent the swift movements in tight, claustrophobic quarters Armstrong and his fellow astronauts faced inside the ships. The film displays the seven years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission and the trials and tribulations that occurred to make sure it was as safe as possible to send astronauts in space.

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Unfortunately, the test missions were anything but safe. As Armstrong continues to rise in the NASA ranks, his time is not without hardship and adversity. The more Gemini and Apollo missions NASA runs, the more danger comes into play. Armstrong lost a lot of friends, including Ed White (Jason Clarke), Gus Grissom (Shea Whigham), and Roger B. Chaffee (Cory Michael Smith), who tragically died in a pre-launch test for Apollo 1.

First Man not only focuses on Armstrong’s life at NASA, but life at home. Armstrong not only lost friends in NASA, but also in his home life as the death of his young daughter Karen to cancer is a loss that Armstrong struggles to face throughout his life. With Armstrong every step of the way are Janet Shearon (Claire Foy) and his two sons.

Foy brilliantly captured what it was like to be Armstrong’s wife, knowing that her husband may not come home from work everyday and the fame that came with his popularity. Armstrong’s inability to cope with death makes it harder for Janet to connect with her husband, and it leads to many emotional breakdowns. In a powerful scene where Armstrong is packing for the Apollo 11 mission, Shearon demands Armstrong discuss the reality that he may never come home to his two young sons, which emphasizes the fact that none of the missions were guaranteed to be a success.

It’s ironic that, after two films which relied heavily on its music, Chazelle used silence to magnify vital scenes. There are times where Gosling would not say a word to his fellow astronauts in space because the moments were bigger than anything they ever imagined. Chazelle’s breathtaking camera work, visuals, and score can be credited to his cinematographer Linus Sandgren, composer Justin Hurwitz, and editor Tom Cross. Chazelle has found the winning formula with these three other men as every one of them has an Oscar to their name.

What did you think of First Man? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.