Film Snail

First Man
First Man

7.0

First Man

PG-13·2018·141m

Summary

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.

Cast

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling

Neil Armstrong

Claire Foy

Claire Foy

Janet Shearon

Jason Clarke

Jason Clarke

Ed White

Kyle Chandler

Kyle Chandler

Deke Slayton

Corey Stoll

Corey Stoll

Buzz Aldrin

Patrick Fugit

Patrick Fugit

Elliot See

Christopher Abbott

Christopher Abbott

David Scott

Ciarán Hinds

Ciarán Hinds

Robert R. Gilruth

Olivia Hamilton

Olivia Hamilton

Patricia White

Pablo Schreiber

Pablo Schreiber

Jim Lovell

Shea Whigham

Shea Whigham

Gus Grissom

Lukas Haas

Lukas Haas

Michael Collins

Ethan Embry

Ethan Embry

Pete Conrad

Brian d'Arcy James

Brian d'Arcy James

Joseph A. Walker

Cory Michael Smith

Cory Michael Smith

Roger B. Chaffee

Kris Rey

Kris Rey

Marilyn See

Gavin Warren

Gavin Warren

Young Rick Armstrong

Luke Winters

Luke Winters

Older Rick Armstrong

Connor Blodgett

Mark Armstrong

Lucy Stafford

Karen Armstrong

J.D. Evermore

J.D. Evermore

Christopher C. Kraft Jr.

Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges

Gil-Scott Heron

Steve Coulter

Steve Coulter

Guenter Wendt

Skyler Bible

Skyler Bible

Richard F. Gordon Jr.

William Gregory Lee

William Gregory Lee

Gordon Cooper

Choppy Guillotte

Choppy Guillotte

John Young

Braydyn Nash Helms

Young Ed White Jr.

Edmund Grant

Edmund Grant

Older Ed White Jr.

Callie Brown

Young Bonnie White

Claire Smith

Older Bonnie White

Brady Smith

Brady Smith

Butch Butchart

John David Whalen

John David Whalen

John Glenn

Matthew Glave

Matthew Glave

Chuck Yeager

Rodney J. Hobbs

Rodney J. Hobbs

X-15 Flight Surgeon

Kermit Rolison

Kermit Rolison

George Mueller

Willie Repoley

Willie Repoley

Jim Fucci

Ben Owen

Ben Owen

John Hodge

Jim Stearns

David Hammock

James H. Williams

Pastor

Helen S. Jackson

Louise Sheron

Ambrit Millhouse

Ambrit Millhouse

Syringe Tech

Mark Armstrong

Mark Armstrong

Paul Haney

Kevin Buttimer

Kevin Buttimer

MSC Entrance Guard

Dustin Lewis

Dustin Lewis

Ralph Morse

Robert Hatch

Robert Hatch

Joe Schmitt

Anna Chazelle

Anna Chazelle

White House Staffer

Tyner Rushing

Tyner Rushing

White House Staffer

Myra Brown

Myra Brown

White House Attendant

Ronald Hicks

White House Attendee

Lawrence Jonasson

Lawrence Jonasson

White House Attendee

Irina Labouz

Irina Labouz

White House Attendee

Anthony Paolucci

Anthony Paolucci

Jim

Philip Boyd

Philip Boyd

Reporter

Stephanie Turner

Kelsey

Timothy Batten

Timothy Batten

ABC Reporter

Aurelien Gaya

Aurelien Gaya

Agence France Reporter

Todd Truley

Houston Post Reporter

Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly

Reporter - Apollo 11

Tim Olcott

Tim Olcott

Reporter - Apollo 11

Andrea Maria Hintermaier

Andrea Maria Hintermaier

Hamburg Press

Jamie Anne Allman

Jamie Anne Allman

Times Reporter

Charles Carroll

Charles Carroll

Senator

Brian Mahoney

Brian Mahoney

Fire Inspector

Donald Watkins

Donald Watkins

Protestor

Tess Oakland

Diner Patron

Michael Lee Kimel

Bill Moon

Ryan Clay Forbes

Bill Anders

Joshua Powell

Joshua Powell

MC Engineer

Thomas Clay Strickland

Thomas Clay Strickland

MC Engineer

Brad Kitchen

Assistant Flight Director

Tim Harper

Flight Activities Director

Andrew Armstrong

Booster Flight Controller

Kevin Johnson

CSQ Agena Systems

Damian Lovello

CSQ Gemini Systems

Nelson Bonilla

Nelson Bonilla

NASA PAO

Shawn Eric Jones

Wally Schirra (uncredited)

Andrew Stahl

Ken Mattingly

Mark Kirkman

MCC Fido

Brian David McCay

MCC Retro

Mark Schlichting

MCC GNC

Mark Yurgil

MCC EECOM

Andrew Buckman

MCC Guidance

Christopher Sgubin

MCC Network

Greg Puckett

Charles Berry (uncredited)

Perry Zulu Jr.

Perry Zulu Jr.

Robert Lawrence (uncredited)

Kent Wagner

Kent Wagner

Fred Haise (uncredited)

Katelyn Davis

Sally See (uncredited)

George Linkenback

Col. Frank Borman (uncredited)

Milton Saul

Milton Saul

Reporter (uncredited)

Aaron J. Brooks

Aaron J. Brooks

NASA Pilot (uncredited)

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Damien Chazelle

Book

James R. Hansen

Screenplay

Josh Singer

Reviews

Gill-Man

Gill-Man

October 19, 2018

10

Damien Chazelle has already proven himself to be one of the freshest new directors of the decade so far. Even after delivering the hard-hitting Whiplash and the emotionally-wrecking and whimsical La La Land, he still knows how to surprise fans of his work, returning to the silver screen with grace. Combining every element of his previous outings that made him a household name, Chazelle makes sure the audience feels every ounce of power that he's thrown into his latest directorial effort. Oddly enough, it's his first foray into biopic territory, a zone where many revered filmmakers have failed to capture the reality of the moment they're attempting to bring to life.

Going in, you'll already know how the movie ends, which is the problem most directors encounter when making a biopic. Finding a way to transfer the actuality of the moment while still feeling original and never appearing boring is a hard task that very few have been able to truly accomplish. With First Man, Chazelle manages to land a spot on that list of directors, and for good reason. He keeps true to the true story with a film that's so intense and fully realized that you might forget that it actually happened.

Space movies have always been a highlight of cinema. From Georges Méliès' 1902 silent film A Trip to the Moon and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey to the Star Wars and Alien franchises, films taking place in the farthest reaches of the universe prove to be some of the most intriguing and original creations brought to viewers' eyes (even by today's standards). It's the true stories that really prove to be some of the most effective, however. Sure, fictional ones show us what could be possible; but it's the depictions of true events that show us what was possible, creating a harrowing story of patriotism in the process.

From a technical perspective, First Man is a marvel on all fronts. Linus Sandgren, the cinematographer who won an Academy Award for his work on La La Land, returns to collaborate with Chazelle and once again delivers a grand spectacle that should not be missed out on while in theaters. The cinematography is stunning. Hues of yellow and blue pop, lighting a path towards the characters and showing no sign of stopping once they've started. Certain scenes are given an extra boost from the home-video-style camerawork, beautifully grainy and shaky in all of the right ways.

Justin Hurwitz (Chazelle's roommate in college), another frequent collaborator, also returns to score the film and knocks it out of the park as expected. Hurwitz obviously knows how to write music, but its how his compositions fit in with the scenes and themes they're tied to that make them so worthwhile. Hurwitz invests you in the midst of all the chaos with all of the orchestral beauty surrounding his pieces. That's the thing about his scores, though: it's hard to objectively rank them because of how different they all are. Chazelle is a unique director because he never sticks to the same formula over an over again, and the same can be said for the accompanying music for each of them.

Acting is on point here; Ryan Gosling hits a huge emotional nerve with incredibly investing performance as Neil Armstrong. He keeps to himself (namely, his personal life) but is willing to risk it all for the mission. Nothing from Gosling is single-layered; everything is complex and detailed to the point that you might as well be in the room with him.

Claire Foy also delivers an amazing portrayal as Janet Armstrong, Neil's wife. Foy topples every housewife stereotype that embodied this specific time period, giving a strong, contained, and free-willed performance of a woman who is certainly not afraid to share her thoughts on issues concerning her husband.

The flag controversy is totally stupid. The moon landing scene doesn't need the image of Armstrong planting the flag on the moon to dish up a heavily emotional response from the audience. If you get a chance to screen it in IMAX, definitely do. The expanded aspect ratio only comes into play during this specific scene but it is utterly transfixing.

First Man is one of the best films of the year, no doubt about it. Every shot is perfection. Every sound is excellence. There is no comparison to what Damien Chazelle and co. have accomplished here; even iconic films like Apollo 13 can't live up to the new bar of quality Chazelle has set for the space drama subgenre. A harrowing journey from start-to-finish, and a true masterwork in many respects, First Man is one film that delivers upon its promise and then some. Performances and technicalities are perfect, but that's what Chazelle will continue to be known for: perfection.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$70,000,000.00

Revenue:

$105,713,218.00

Keywords

moon
based on novel or book
sacrifice
nasa
wife
obsession
space travel
space mission
biography
engineer
based on true story
moon landing
space
cancer
astronaut
historical event
death of daughter
compromise
test pilot
1960s
apollo program
america