Film Review: First Man (5 out of 5)

It's no surprise that as a small boy I found the Moon landing so fascinating - my parents loved science fiction and I had followed their suit.
First ManFirst Man
First Man

So, along with millions of others across the world, I watched science reality as Neil Armstrong made that one small step in July 1969.

But, again like all those people who keenly watched events unfold, I had no idea of the blood, sweat and tears that had gone into creating that one historic moment.

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First Man gives us an insight into just who Neil Armstrong was.

Director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash) has gone to incredible lengths to make every part of his movie as accurate as possible.

Family and those involved in the Apollo missions were consulted to get the facts right.

The result is a stunning portrayal of the amazing astronauts and the ground-breaking engineering involved.

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Ryan Gosling gives an outstanding performance as Armstrong, but Stockport’s finest, Claire Foy, is equally impressive and both must be in the running for any awards going.

Chazelle uses hand-held cameras a lot to provide a documentary feel to the project and even the colours and tones look like 60s footage.

Back in 1969 all we had was a fuzzy black and white TV screen, but Chazelle gives us breath-taking realistic view of the Moon as the astronauts finally step on to the surface.

Overall it’s a superb snapshot of one man’s life - but it covers a few years that changed our whole perception of space and science.

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PS: If you get the chance to watch the 2014 documentary The Last Man on the Moon take it, it’s a fascinating story.

Film details: First Man (12A) 141mins

Director: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke

Screening courtesy of Horsham Capitol