60 Second Verdict: First ManÂ
60 Second Verdict: First Man
20 October 2018
Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong in First Man.
A biopic of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, that has ‘epic’ scribbled all over it. Starring Ryan Gosling as Armstrong, and Claire Foye as his wife Janet, this incredible tale makes clear just how much bravery went into the mix to put a man on the moon, both in the capsule and on the home front.
WHAT’S GOOD
Director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land) has chosen a distinctly intimate frame for his story, steering clear of the international focus in order to concentrate on Neil and Janet Armstrong’s relationship, to consider what such a risky undertaking means to an average family.
WHAT’S NOT
Armstrong is portrayed as being so incapable of bridging the gap between himself and his family, as to be almost an emotional cripple. There is lots to appreciate about his performance, but little to admire in his character.
SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING
Every storyline involves making choices. In the case of First Man, the writers’ choice to focus on Neil and Janet has excluded much of the world’s attention, and all of the spiritual content that surrounded their story. Neil’s devout mother who prayerfully supported her son is absent; so too is the belief that sustained his co-pilot, Buzz Aldrin. The second man to walk on the moon took God into the cockpit with him, going so far as to celebrate communion on the way to the moon. By comparison, Armstrong travels into the heavens and manages to miss every sign of his Creator’s goodness.
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