First Man * * * *
My first impressions were this: The First Man is not a fun film and, to be honest, it is often quite a boring film. Yet, it is probably (who knows for sure?) a good portrayal of Neil Armstrong. A brilliant engineer and test pilot who was simply chosen to be "the first man".
I'd say if you didn't know that Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon (and who doesn't?!) you might find the pace of this film trying, and wonder where it's going. Its trajectory comes from our prior knowledge and the fact that the film has to fulfil it's inevitable historic destiny. He's going to be chosen to be the first man to walk on the moon and then he's going to do it successfully - and we know it. No plot twists here, we just get to watch him go through it.
It's probably truthful. There are no villains. There is not much competition between the astronauts. He is not aspiring to be "The First Man'. It could have been any of the other worthy candidates in the NASA team and almost was. You get the impression that it was just another exercise for him. "You're it Neil" they said to him ".Okay" he quietly replied.
He seemed to treat each mission as a technical task rather than a gung-ho adventure, and this was another one. He can't seem to figure out why his wife Jan isn't as chilled about it as he is. The film shows the home-life of a man who lives on a military camp. He and his family enjoy the community and camaraderie of the camp. Yet his relationship with his wife seems distant. He is obsessed with his work, she seems understanding but she also harbours a suppressed anger about it. Sometimes they seem like a distant couple.
Early in their marriage illness took their infant daughter. It is suggested that perhaps they never really worked it through together and thus it remained an event that shaped their marriage as they individually carried the wounds of grief.
In the cockpit, we get many closeups. The claustrophobia, intense noise and violent shaking of the test jets and rockets is conveyed effectively as pilots and later astronauts try to read critical dials which are shaking into a blur. You get a lot of that. Such closeups and movement continue into many other scenes, which is why I found it irritating at first.
But after much reflection, I find myself impressed. It's from the same director who gave us Whiplash and La La Land and as far as creativity goes it is probably just as good. But certainly not as much fun to sit through, though the Moon Walk scenes are a memorable and beautiful experience.
For me it is a film I admired rather than enjoyed.
I'd say if you didn't know that Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon (and who doesn't?!) you might find the pace of this film trying, and wonder where it's going. Its trajectory comes from our prior knowledge and the fact that the film has to fulfil it's inevitable historic destiny. He's going to be chosen to be the first man to walk on the moon and then he's going to do it successfully - and we know it. No plot twists here, we just get to watch him go through it.
It's probably truthful. There are no villains. There is not much competition between the astronauts. He is not aspiring to be "The First Man'. It could have been any of the other worthy candidates in the NASA team and almost was. You get the impression that it was just another exercise for him. "You're it Neil" they said to him ".Okay" he quietly replied.
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| And remember.... Don't take it off when you get there! |
Early in their marriage illness took their infant daughter. It is suggested that perhaps they never really worked it through together and thus it remained an event that shaped their marriage as they individually carried the wounds of grief.
In the cockpit, we get many closeups. The claustrophobia, intense noise and violent shaking of the test jets and rockets is conveyed effectively as pilots and later astronauts try to read critical dials which are shaking into a blur. You get a lot of that. Such closeups and movement continue into many other scenes, which is why I found it irritating at first.
But after much reflection, I find myself impressed. It's from the same director who gave us Whiplash and La La Land and as far as creativity goes it is probably just as good. But certainly not as much fun to sit through, though the Moon Walk scenes are a memorable and beautiful experience.
For me it is a film I admired rather than enjoyed.
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