First Man – Movie Reviews by Ry!

First Man – A Solemn Journey to the Moon

When you think of the unexpected, you look towards the beyond.  In the mysteries of the unknown, the significance of existence creates a window to seek that which we don’t know.  That thought becomes a perplexing moment, creating a path that questions all that is meaningful in one’s life.  It is that question that brings confliction to desire and purpose.  As you come to these crossroads, look to the stars.  That is what one man does, while helping NASA on its’ mission to reach the moon.

Playing the role of Neil Armstrong, Ryan Gosling brings about a centralized focus that strokes the side of characterization within an outline of a typical Bio-pic.  The mixing of moods makes you believe in the cause, but also makes you straddle human existence, drive and conflict within a retrospective of life.  This melds within a theme that bridges concepts of ‘what is living’ within ominous situations.  First Man takes you on a path that looks at NASA’s struggles to make the impossible possible; putting man on the moon.  This realization, through the direction of by Damien Chazelle, brings the fantastical to relative existence.  The director creates a journey that becomes a reflection on the personification of death.  Through the eyes of Armstrong, you witness the variables (family, friends, colleagues and Space) that are poignant conflicts that anyone has when looking at life’s journey.  Death becomes the central through line, leading to questions of worth.  Is the mission worth the lives that may be lost?

That endearing tale of finding purpose creates a struggle in every character, including Armstrong.  Combined with a strong secondary cast (Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll), you have a story that makes you think about life through the most treacherous voyage that only a few have endeared.  Even with a long running time and a trivial soundtrack, the combination of fantastical elements with humanistic themes creates an endearing reflection of life and death.  This is an amazing film, one that shows the strength of the movie experience.  This is worth the full price, check it out on the big screen.

Final Score – 4.5 out 5 (Award Worthy)