First Man (2018)

From 1961 to 1969, the story of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and his long and personal journey to become part of the 1969 moon landing and the first man to walk on the moon. Based on the non fiction book by James R. Hansen and directed by Damien Chazelle. I suppose THE RIGHT STUFF (1983) is the benchmark for this kind of film. But Chazelle's film isn't about the space program as much as the story of one man and both his fortitude and heartbreak culminating in a catharsis (that may or may not have actually happened). It's a fine film though I have to confess after the glowing reviews, I couldn't help but feel let down. It's good but not that good. Covering eight years in 2 1/2 hours could be daunting but Chazelle rushes from highlight to highlight without missing a beat and still manages to keep this a personal story rather than a space epic. Gosling is exceptional but I was more impressed by Claire Foy as his wife. This isn't your typical "wife" role. She's not the little woman behind the man wringing her hands while he's whizzing around in space. She's a roll up your sleeves and "get it done" kind of woman and doesn't take a backseat to her famous hubby. Technical aspects are impressive and while Justin Hurwitz's score is strong, there were still the occasional themes that had me thinking, "Didn't he use that melody in LA LA LAND?". With Jason Clarke, Patrick Fugit, Corey Stoll, Lukas Haas, Shea Wigham and Olivia Hamilton.