First Man (watched October 12, 2018)

First Man is essentially a look into the lives of the different scientists and astronauts immediately involved with the famous "Mission to the Moon" and all of the trial runs that preceded it. In the film we get a close look at the inner workings of Neil Armstrong’s mind (played by another favorite of mine in Ryan Gosling) and how it came to believe that landing on the moon was worth every effort the US could put forth. At the beginning of the film, Neil seems to sport a somewhat healthy work-life balance. He is fully invested in furthering his own trial run experiences, often seen reading up on material while his kids run around the house and outside. But he’s still somewhat present, as evidenced by his often times grabbing one of his kids and tossing them around, almost as a welcome reprieve from his studying and work. But, as the amount of time, energy and lives that go into making a moon landing possible increase, Neil becomes most obsessed with doing just that: landing on the moon.

Every step taken toward attaining this goal seems worth it, if not also necessary; and, to simply quit would be a direct detriment to the development of mankind as a whole. As with Bad Times at the El Royale, First Man is an entire 2 hours and 20 minutes. The plot has its moments that seem more stagnant and less captivating than others, but the VERY anxious and tense moments spent in space crafts of all kinds seem to make up for it. Claire Foy's rendition of Neil's wife Janet is also gripping; and, along with her and her husband’s children, she provides a balance that the seriousness of this movie often desperately needs to move the plot forward. And while it doesn’t do so in any expansive manner, the film also highlights the socio-economic & political ramifications of space research in general.

First Man at times works to highlight the dark side that such a mission and undertaking can bring out of its participants; and, for that alone, this film is worth a watch. However, I do not think you will learn anything from it that you couldn’t necessarily learn on your own; but, it is cathartic to see a visual representation of said intricacies that underwrite space exploration. You should watch this film if you are particularly taken by the topic or would like an alternative to reading about it. Personally, it gets 3 reps out of 5.

Where you "over the moon" with your experience watching First Man?