Let me first begin by saying I am a straight man but I could watch Ryan Gosling peel potatoes. Despite that, I was not excited to see this movie just based on the sheer fact that I know the outcome and did not expect much content outside what the world already knows. The tin hat conspiracy theorists will be disappointed to know that it is about the actual landing.

 I was surprised right from the start. First Man wraps you in the life of Neil Armstrong. Neil, by all accounts, was a very private person and it took a great deal of work and convincing to get him to sign off on this movie. The movie is based on the only authorized biography by James Hansen by the same name. Hanson is credited in the film and even appears for a split moment as an extra. This has bearing because of the precise nature of the relationship Hanson and Armstrong shared. By all accounts Neil, had a really hard time telling his story

 Gosling does an outstanding job of immersing you in the character. There is so much to learn about the man that you almost feel embarrassed for not knowing. In a world that has made the superhero a norm, we sometimes forget that real heroes exist and are real people like us. People that have to make incredible decisions in split seconds, make immense sacrifices, and fight through things that a normal person would not dare. First Man did that for me. It showed me how wrong it was to just assume that Neil’s story wouldn’t be fascinating. You understand the reality of this situation when, in a scene, his son asked if there is a chance he might not come back. Neil gives a formulated response that he has been giving to the press and when he looks upon his family, and particularly his sons faces, he realized that the real and only honest answer is “yes”. It is an incredibly powerful scene and based on the previous failures of the program (not to mention the fact that our cell phones have more computing power than the entire Apollo rocket) it is strikingly real. In the climax of the infamous words “one small step..”  you will have the context and personal presence of your emersion in this man life and the countless obstacles that were presented in the experience. The miracle of the journey is truly monumental, and you will share those words with Neil.

Claire Foy plays Janet Armstrong and does an amazing job. Her struggles and strength are vivid, and she avoids the typical stereotype of a wife-of-a-hero. The entire cast is fantastic. Damien Chazelle’s directing skill shows evident yet again. You can see the similarity between First Man and Whiplash and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Ordinary people in extraordinary environments making the bravest of decisions. The movie is in the performance. You will not see a CGI rocket firing from a grandiose landscape. Instead you will see a close-up of an astronaut as a real human hits Mach 10 in a matter of seconds.

First Man shows perspective in an incredibly personal and intimate view point. I can’t say enough about the performances, the choices of the director, and the final product. 5 out of 5. How a movie like this goes unnoticed by the Oscars shows why we should avoid the Oscars.