First Man (B or 3/4 stars)
'First Man' (directed by Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, of La La Land, Whiplash) is a super-serious, fact-based biopic about legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong and is set during the tumultuous decade (1961-69) leading up to the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Back in '61, while being an X-15 test pilot for the Air Force in California's vast Mojave desert, Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) & his wife, Janet (Claire Foy, of The Crown), experience the heart-wrenching loss of their young daughter, Karen, to brain cancer. After her death, Neil is hired to join NASA's Gemini-Apollo program; moving to Houston with pregnant Janet & their son. Living in the suburbs, the astronauts & their devoted wives face daily danger which ends in tragedy, often-enough.
While at Cape Canaveral, several of Armstrong's closest friends & colleagues perish in work-related mishaps. The fatal Apollo 1 pre-launch test fire incinerated Ed White (Jason Clarke), Gus Grissom (Shea Wigham), & Roger Chaffee (Cory Michael Smith); and another pal, Elliott See (Patrick Fugit, unrecognizable from his starring turn in Almost Famous 18 yrs. ago) perishes elsewhere. These losses are significant; especially in the wake of Neil losing his beloved daughter. Like everything else in his life, taciturn Armstrong internalizes his grief. In the wake of this, the famous Apollo 11 mission ensues with emotionally-distant Neil at the helm, instigatory extrovert Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll), & young Michael Collins (Luke Haas) at his side. Though we all know how it turns out, 'First Man' does a great job re-creating the tense take-off & nerve-tingling 1st landing on the moon. "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind" indeed.
So, I was a little bummed leaving the theater. Sure, 'First Man' is respectful, sometimes stirring, well acted, capably directed & has some great sequences (visual effects-aided or not). I also admire Justin Hurwitz's dramatic, stirring musical score; especially when it booms with grandeur during the landing-on-the-moon sequence -- it's a wow. But overall, I really did expect to like/love this more than I did. Stellar craft aside, this just didn't IGNITE for me. It lacks dynamics. And portions of the movie are weighed down by lots of astrophysical detail/verbiage that any lay person would struggle to decipher.
Ryan Gosling gives a stellar performance as the brave, stoic, but withdrawn astronaut who persevered through EXTREME grief to make history. Quietly, yet powerfully, Gosling conveys a lot in the most inscrutable of expressions. Gosling understands the art of subtlety and doesn't Act with a Capital A ... but his portrayal is moving. Now, for better or worse, Neil is dead inside and, his grief permeates the film. I offer up 'worse' because the tone of this celebratory film IS sorrowful for a good portion. Gosling is not at fault, but aside from his brains & heroics, it seems that Neil Armstrong simply wasn't a very compelling historical figure.
Claire Foy plays Janet Armstrong with grace, dignity & strength {she lost Karen, too, after all}. Unwittingly, Janet becomes the face of the wives of NASA, a role she probably never wanted. She's great here, particularly when confronting Neil about talking to their scared, confused, doting sons before he leaves for the Apollo 11 mission. And then, upon his return from the moon, much is said - but not spoken - when she & Neil interact through the window of his quarantine. And the entire supporting cast lends authenticity to the movie with their astute, lived-in performances.
'First Man' offers plenty of nerve-wracking moments (especially in the rocket/outer space scenes) & beautiful moments (cinematographer Linus Sandgren provides a grainy look that makes us feel like we're actually watching a 1960s docudrama), but this lengthy film is mostly a heavy character study of grief that some audiences might not expect. Director Chazelle also adds an interesting subtext to his film: Kurt Vonnegut mentions that taxpayers' $$ shouldn't be going towards space research (where many people are dying, anyway), & Gil Scott-Heron's poem "Whitey on the Moon" pits NASA vs. poverty/racial inequality. I'm glad he included that because aside from the great visuals & Gosling's well-calibrated, internalized performance as our heroic, pioneer/father/husband/American ... this is a somber film that cinephiles will love much more than the average movie-goer expecting another Apollo 13.