ReelBob: ‘First Man’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
To the general public, Neil Armstrong was a hero — the first man to walk on the moon.
And his legendary status made others see him as remote as landing on the moon itself.
But Armstrong is brought back to Earth in director Damien Chazelle’s “First Man,” which examines the decade in Armstrong’s life when he went from test pilot to astronaut.
Armstrong was a quiet, no-nonsense man who focused on the task at hand. He was not colorful or flashy.
Some saw this as an emotional coldness in the man, while others perceived it as standard Midwestern reserve.
Ironically, that is both the strength and weakness of “First Man.”
Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Armstrong captures the all-business, single-mindedness of the man, as well as his emotional impassiveness.
Gosling’s taciturn approach to the character masks an emotional turbulence that bubbles within the man.
And while this may be an accurate portrait of Armstrong, it does not afford the audience the opportunity to fully embrace him.
But it also makes more powerful the few times when Gosling’s Armstrong lets down his guard — especially when mourning the death of his daughter, Karen, who had a brain tumor and died when she was two.
Where “First Man” takes off is in its presentation. Chazelle emphasizes close-ups of Armstrong, especially during stressful or dangerous situations, in which we see his eyes scanning instruments and can sense his brain calculating how to fix the problem at hand.
This mental intimacy basically compensates for the physical closeness the audience is denied.
That, though, is in keeping with Armstrong’s persona. He was, as fellow astronauts described, a “reluctant hero” who believed he simply was doing his job and shunned the spotlight.
The screenplay, by Josh Singer and based on the book by James R. Hansen, delves into the country’s — and NASA’s — obsession with besting the Soviet Union in the space race by being the first nation to reach the moon.
What the movie makes clear is that — behind the scenes and unlike its public face — the space program was akin to a fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants, make-it-up-as-we-go-along institution; which suffered many failures, fatalities and near-disasters before getting everything right.
Gosling displays Armstrong’s quiet determination and ambition. He stays focused, using his engineering skills to help solve problems that continually move the goal forward.
“First Man” is akin to Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13” in the sense that both cover well-known events in which the outcomes are public record, yet still are able to convey the necessary tension and suspense that give us pause as to whether the project at hand will succeed or not.
Another successful aspect of “First Man” is Claire Foy’s portrayal of Janet Armstrong. In public, she is the prototypical all-American wife, totally supporting her husband.
But in the privacy of their home, you sense a tension within the marriage and the family. Janet constantly is pushing her husband to open himself up to her and their sons.
It’s a struggle in which she loses more than she wins. (As a footnote, the two divorced in 1994.)
“First Man” is more interesting than entertaining, giving us a more grounded and objective look at Armstrong and his incredible mission.
What the movie lacks is the soaring notes and emotional resonance that Chazelle brought to “La La Land.”
“First Man” should have had the power to carry us to the moon and beyond. Instead, it mostly remains grounded on Earth.
I am a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
FIRST MAN
3 stars out of 4
(PG-13), mature themes, scenes of danger, language, smoking