(Damien Chazelle, US/China/Japan 2018, 141 min., DCP)
Ryan Gosling plays the legendary Neil Armstrong in this adaptation of the James Hansen biography, directed by Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash, Babylon). Focusing on Armstrong’s professional career and his journey to become the first man to walk on the moon, the film opens with the distracted pilot escaping a dangerous flight, yet still under threat of being grounded. He applies for Project Gemini and is accepted to the space program. Meanwhile, his daughter has a been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and Armstrong spends his personal time detailing her symptoms and researching possible treatments. Unfolding over a decade of professional success and personal loss, First Man is a portrait of the man behind the icon. Chazelle’s attention to detail extends to the visuals and soundscape that put you in the cockpit with Armstrong.