First Man

Damien Chazelle is one of the most interesting young filmmakers of our time, and I don't know if Whiplash or La La Land is better. Anyway, with these two films he has shown that he is not going to be stuck in one single genre, so I was looking forward to the Neil Armstrong biopic and the story of the conquest of the moon. In part, I got exactly what I expected and wanted: a technically perfect film that suits the IMAX big screen, has great cinematography and a sound design that makes you feel scared during the Apollo 11 launch like a regular horror movie. It's great to watch, but Chazelle tries to tell perhaps too many things surrounding the event, and there are just too many stories of pilots, engineers and families. So much so that a lot of them fizzle out and don't lead anywhere substantial plot-wise, or have as much emotional impact as they might have wanted. Overall, though, this is still a must-see film, and preferably in the best and biggest theater possible. There, First Man can be compared to Gravity or Interstellar, at least technically. (10/04/2018)

What a surprise by Chazelle! Distinctive, cool, gritty, exquisite. An incredibly plausible reconstruction of one of the key events (not only) of the 1960s, where, apart from the journey to the moon itself, there is also a brilliant depiction of the society and family values of that time. Without pathos, without heroism, and with the depressing clacks and creaks of space rocket interiors. (10/21/2018)

I haven't seen Whiplash, I didn't enjoy the cheesy La La Land, but I'm unreservedly excited about First Man. Captivating aerial scenes of all kinds (you feel like you are sitting there with him/them) interspersed with no less dramatic scenes from that “ordinary family life," Ryan Gosling once again acts well and I believed his character. At the same time, the script is not a classic biographical affair which, when watching it, the viewer just in spirit ticks off items and gets to the limit of kitsch only in the end (the bracelet), but it balances it, doesn't fall, and doesn’t hurt itself. I also enjoy being able to praise the music once again. Justin Hurwitz is playing the theremin, accompanying the scene with Gemini with a waltz and peaking as dramatically as if Hans Zimmer had collaborated with Philip Glass. I'm very much looking forward to the soundtrack. (10/11/2018)

A monthly Elegy. A film that is much more about fatherhood than space exploration. After all, it is just a place where our thin and frail shells throw away their sadness and anxiety. Nothing took me apart this year like First Man. A virtuoso mosaic of sharp, detailed, claustrophobic fragments in super 16 and IMAX width, which perfectly flushed out my sensory receptors. Gosling can channel melancholy with his eyes, and Claire Foy's performance is stronger than gravity. This is what Interstellar was supposed to be. For me, this the greatest film experience of 2018 and the perfect reparation for La La Land. (10/20/2018)

A realistic biographical drama with emphasis on what must be sacrificed in the interest of science. In terms of style, it’s a cross between Interstellar and The Tree of Life. Gosling’s is excellent as Armstrong, an intelligent guy who can look after himself, although with dulled feelings after of all the death (his farewell with his kids using sentences intended for a press conference is a good example). During the ending, Chazelle does not stoop to giving us a climax with great pathos, where the hero and his friends achieve the goal, simply because most of his companions have been killed. The shots from the Moon are duly impressive and the effect is exquisite. Primarily, they aren’t spoiled by any flag planting. Beautiful music. Excellent. I see the Moon, the Moon sees me... (10/17/2018)