First Man

“Do you question whether the program is worth the cost, in money and in lives.” This crucial question underpins much of the narrative of the new blockbuster film, First Man. Ryan Gosling and The Crown’s Claire Foy star in the biographical drama that depicts a decade of events leading up to the historic Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in July 1969.

Based on the best-selling book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, the audience sees Armstrong’s journey begin with his acceptance to NASA till his eventual landing on the Moon. We also get a glimpse into the astronaut’s private life, especially the emotional burden felt by his wife and two sons. The loss of his infant daughter, Karen, to a brain tumour, stiffens Neil’s resolve and hardens his shell. Unable to express his anguish to his wife, Janet (Foy), and team of colleagues becomes a recurring thread of tension which is resolved at the end of the film in a cathartic yet contrived manner.

The enormity of the mission is quite clear when the camera pans over NASA’s arsenal of unsophisticated and seemingly makeshift equipment compared to the technology available today. When Janet rightly quips “you’re a bunch of boys, you don’t have anything under control” to the NASA team after a malfunction, it harnesses the acute fear and anxiety many loved ones would have felt about the space mission. The fact the mission was successful is miraculous.

First Man rocketed in scenes that focused on the various Apollo missions. For me, the most gripping scene was the tragic death of the Apollo 1 crew, who were killed in a fire during testing. The fizzler, and I hate to say it, was the scenes where Neil explains his mission to his sons Mark and Rick, and explains the possibility that he might not come home. I was left wanting more.

Fans of the charismatic Gosling can expect to see a more subdued side to him. Although characterised as a joker, Gosling taps into the inner-turmoil Neil would have felt in preparing for the landmark flight. Much praise goes to the cast, especially Gosling and Foy, who imbue an increasing sense of angst and resentment as the lunar mission draws closer.

Melbourne, First Man has landed in a cinema near you.

First Man
In cinemas now
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