CINEMA OF THE SKY: FIRST MAN
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
This movie was one of the latest in a string of highly anticipated releases, along with films like Bad Times at the El Royale, and A Star is Born. Per usual I was hyped for it. Let's dive right in, shall we?!
The Film
This movie wassssss GOOD. Very, very well done. Where to even begin...
With America's darling, Ryan Gosling of course! I gotta say, it took a long time for me to see Ryan Gosling as anything other than a defensive liability in the secondary of the Mighty Mighty Titans. Over the past few years though, props must be give. He's a fantastic actor with amazing range, which he uses here to bring Neil Armstrong to life in this picture.
He portrays Neil as a reserved, humble, and almost coldly motivated man, driven to bring the US Space Program to new heights (pun intended). His performance is simply masterful, and I will make a bet with anyone that nominations come his way during awards season. He carries this movie, and deserves a tip of the cap for sure.
I found this story to be told in a very unique light as well. The directing was fantastic on the part of Damien Chazelle, which is absolutely noteworthy. Chazelle has had some highly successful films in the past like La La Land and Whiplash, but this was Chazelle's first non-music related film. It is shot artfully with interesting angles. This results in some really intense scenes, particularly during takeoff sequences, that will keep you on the edge of your seat through most of the film.
The directing was superb, Gosling was exceptional, and the story is true, which makes this movie even better. I give THE FILM: 8.8
The Plane:
Ahhhhh the airplane. As I write more of these reviews, I find that the airplane can often be the kryptonite to a great movie. It feels almost as if the better the movie, the less likely it is that you should watch said movie on the plane. I am not ready to make that a sweeping law of cinema just yet, but this movie absolutely falls into this category.
You owe it to this movie to watch it in theaters, or in the next best movie watching environment you can. This movie is intense, but the intensity comes from the music, the cinematography, and the power of the moment. Laying back in my recliner seat at the local theater, I felt like I was taking off with Neil on his adventure to the moon. The theater seemed to shake around me, it was all dark as it should be, and the engines filled the room with their thundering roar. This experience simply can't be had on the airplane, and that is why this movie should be absolutely avoided in the sky. You owe it to Ryan Gosling, Damien Chazelle, and of course to ME, to watch this movie right and proper. My verdict for THE PLANE: 1.9
The Verdict:
This movie is, dare I say, a boarder line masterpiece. It's a true, gut wrenching, butterfly inducing, rocket blasting story about a man who changed the world, and the abilities of man kind, as we know it. That being said, your gut will not be wrenched, your butterflies will not be released, and rockets will not feel blasted if you watch this on the plane. I feel it may even turn into a rather dull true story about a reserved man who flew far away.
Don't ruin it for yourself. Watch it right. My final determination for THE VERDICT: 5.3
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