Review of First Man (2018) by Barbara S — 12 Oct 2018

I saw this with my husband on Sat Oct 13. Despite the many negative reviews on this site, we thought this movie was AMAZING! My impression was that the film was trying to present what Neil Armstrong probably felt emotionally, and most likely experienced physically, as he prepared for and executed his missions. Situations in his early career very much shaped how he behaved and performed later in his career, especially in life-and-death situations. While dramatized, his emotions and dealing with them - or not - played an influential part in his career.

To the viewers who say the movie is too slow, I respond that I believe it was meant to be that way. Throughout the film, we see what Armstrong experienced, and we are almost there with him. Life did not move at the pace that it does today; things were much slower. That pace of life is reflected in the film.

To the viewer who said that the inside sounds of the rocket were distracting and unrealistic - like you would know?! - I thought that element added significant realism to the film. Those men traveled in space and went to the moon in "tin cans" compared to today's technology, and they probably DID rattle, creak, and groan during those missions!

And apparently the last scene on the moon was lost on several viewers, who didn't piece together the part where Armstrong "lets go" and then turns away. He was finally able to let go of some angst.

I, too, felt incomplete at the end - I wished there was more uplift - but the artistic interpretation of this film and the ending really made me think about and consider the sacrifices people made to get us to the moon.

This film is beautifully acted, has an amazing soundtrack, covers a very long time in history in only 2.25 hours, and presents the emotional toll that the Space Program took on its members and their families. It is less about the technology and more about the people, and the drive those people in NASA had, to accomplish landing on the moon. If you are interested in the people side of the story you will love this film!