A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
"Chazelle and Gosling, eons away from the musical romance of La La Land, work beautifully to anchor this epic character study in reality, no matter how harsh. Living in a bubble is impossible when the media is always pushing for access, government leaders are calling the astronaut program a waste of money, and Gil Scott-Heron’s satirical “Whitey on the Moon” wonders how the space race can really affect life on Earth. The movie wonders, too, asking provocative questions at every turn, with answers that are not spelled out in the script. Meaning is better culled from the haunting images and sounds created by Chazelle’s team, including cinematographer Linus Sandgren, editor Tom Cross and composer Justin Hurwitz. For some, the film may feel too remote or cool to the touch. But the director entreats us to look closer.
And from the moment Armstrong takes his first step on the moon, Chazelle’s film exists on a plane of the purest mystery. It’s not the words the astronaut utters for posterity (“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”) or the enormity of the mission, or even the global cheering (the movie significantly does not include the roar of the crowd) that matters most. It might be a simple gesture the moonwalker makes in honor of his daughter, or the soundless blur of space, or our individual sense of what lies over the rainbow. Chazelle films First Man with a poet’s eye that cherishes the hush that comes when the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."
Courtesy - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
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