First Man (Review)

[WillBrink]

If you thought Hollywood incapable of making a beautiful movie, First Man would prove us all wrong. First Man is a beautiful movie from its first scene to its last. It's The Right Stuff meets 2001 A Space Odyssey. First Man is a biographical drama focused on Neil A. Armstrong, staring Ryan Gosling (as Armstrong), directed by Damien Chazelle, who should have walked away with a Best Director Oscar and Best Supporting Actress for Claire Foy. This is movie making as it was meant to be, and what reminds us, so rarely, of what top shelf movie making, from acting, to sets, to effects, to music, to casting, etc can look like when people really care. While the tech and the journey to get to the moon is a central theme, the movie humanizes those men and their families in a way no movie has before it, not The Right Stuff, nor Apollo Thirteen. A very rare A+

[jpmuscle]

I thoroughly enjoyed it.



I told everyone I knew to go see it as well


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[WillBrink]

I thoroughly enjoyed it.



I told everyone I knew to go see it as well

One of the best movies I have seen in many moons, it also proves great movies can still be made when you get the right people together. How it didn't sweep the Oscars I don't know, but that's another topic.

[kerplode]

Sorry, I didn't really like this one. I found it to be excruciatingly boring.

[Lefty223]

How it didn't sweep the Oscars I don't know, but that's another topic.

Most probably ‘wishful thinking’ on my part, but I like to believe it is because they did NOT include a scene of the US Flag being raised on the moon is what derailed Academy voters, of whom some %age, at their core, are still proud of America and its achievements on this scale.

Off-topic too ... but it is also the last 5-minutes of the movie Black Klansman that I believe is what caused it to fail at the Oscars too. Amazing knowing that it really happened. I know for myself, before those last 5-minutes I would’ve rated the movie a solid A, but because of those 5-minutes ... I won’t even comment. And although it preceded his Presidency by a good 20-30 years, there are many thinky veiled references to ‘the Donald’ in it. Those didn’t ruin that movie for me, as I knew what the intent of the wording was, insofar as how it applied to the scenes. But how they phrased it or commented on D. Duke et al, was purely politics of today’s left-wing socialism and fascism outlook.

[WillBrink]

Most probably ‘wishful thinking’ on my part, but I like to believe it is because they did NOT include a scene of the US Flag being raised on the moon is what derailed Academy voters, of whom some %age, at their core, are still proud of America and its achievements.

Forgot about that. According to the director had nothing to do with that, but who knows:

“To address the question of whether this was a political statement, the answer is no,” Chazelle said in a statement on Aug. 31. “I wanted the primary focus in that scene to be on Neil’s solitary moments on the moon — his point of view as he first exited the LEM, his time spent at Little West Crater, the memories that may have crossed his mind during his lunar EVA.”

Singer told Variety on Monday that the film also chose to focus on Armstrong’s character and showcase other sides to the American icon.

“By focusing on that loss and sacrifice and failure, it humanizes this person who we think of as an idol and helps us really understand that this wasn’t easy, this wasn’t superheros that did it,” Singer added.

[WillBrink]

Sorry, I didn't really like this one. I found it to be excruciatingly boring.

It could have gone another hour and I would have been happy. I think that movie was as close to perfect as it could be if the goal was to show the real sacrifices made by those men and their families, and what they gave to us and what was accomplished.

I'll take that over mindless action, explosions, CGI galore, and no plot, character development, etc of modern movies any day. Perhaps you take for granted, or don't fully appreciate the risks taken and what a colossal achievement that was.

When he put that first boot into that moon soil, and uttered those words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" a chill ran right up my spine.

I more or less thought the whole Apollo/moon landing thing had been covered

I was wrong.

Out of curiosity, what was a favorite of yours in the last few years?

[kerplode]

I think it was expectations, really. I went to see a movie about the space program and rocket launches, but it was mostly about Neil's struggles with the stress of his assignment and the loss of his daughter. So given my going in expectation, I found the actuality to be boring. Maybe if I watch it a second time, I'd like it better.

I don't watch a lot of movies anymore, honestly. I enjoyed Green Book quite a lot, though. In fact I paid to see it twice.

[WillBrink]

I think it was expectations, really. I went to see a movie about the space program and rocket launches, but it was mostly about Neil's struggles with the stress of his assignment and the loss of his daughter. So given my going in expectation, I found the actuality to be boring. Maybe if I watch it a second time, I'd like it better.

I don't watch a lot of movies anymore, honestly. I enjoyed Green Book quite a lot, though. In fact I paid to see it twice.

I didn't really have expectations for First Man, and assumed the topic had been covered by The Right Stuff. If you have not seen that one, it's more in line with what you may have been wanting for a cool romp about the space program. Green Book on my list once it's for rent.

[kerplode]

I'm pretty sure I haven't seen The Right Stuff. I'll definitely check it out!