First Man

I’ve never thought of NASA’s putting an American on the Moon as a dour event, but that’s how it comes across in Director Damien Chazelle’s maudlin First Man.

What I had thought might be one of the best films of the year has turned out to be my biggest 2018 cinematic disappointment.  

 

Except for an excellent cast, headed by Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy, everything else seems so wrong, even though Chazelle used the same Cinematographer (Linus Sandgren) and Editor (Tom Cross) that he used in the fabulous La La Land. 

The biggest problem is the Cinematography.  The film has the soft focus color palette of a ‘50s movie even though most of the action is in the ‘60s.  The shots in the space capsules give no perspective of what’s happening around the action.  And, what action?  It’s just face shots of the astronauts without showing what they’re seeing.  Sometimes, the screen is just black.   

Perhaps, seeing the film in 4DX might create some excitement, but the atmosphere created by the treatment of Neil Armstrong’s personality will probably kill that, as well.

I could go on about other things like Justin Hurwitz’ abysmal music, but why?

At best, I can only give First Man a 3.2 out of 5.