Review: First Man

Most space movies tend to be somewhat bombastic or at least patriotic, and First Man is refreshingly different as it's more a biopic of Neil Armstrong - the first man to step onto the moon - than an account of how the US beat the Russians to the ultimate space race goal.

Armstrong by all accounts was rather taciturn and that plays to Gosling's strengths as an actor who has made of a career out of expressionless or extremely subtle (depending on your point of view) characters.  For myself, I've increasingly grown to appreciate Gosling's work. Bladerunner 2049 was probably the turning point for me.

First Man itself turns out to be a moving and impressionistic tale of Armstrong's grief as well as his preparations for the voyage which would define his life.  While the outcome is never less than certain, director Chazelle manages to wring every moment of tension out of the landing itself and showing why Armstrong was a great man for the job. He remains calm while many of us would no doubt be clawing the control panels in frustration as their initial landing site proves unfeasible and fuel is running low.

Mention must also go to Foy as Janet Armstrong. Her steadfastness and support for a man who is often uncommunicative while facing tremendous risks is almost as breathtaking as the main endeavour. It's not just men that were made of the right stuff - their wives were too.

Verdict:  A powerful concoction of character study and human achievement.