FIRST MAN: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
On July 20, 1969, one man amazed the world as he walked on the surface of the moon. Transmitted on television screens to an estimated 530 million people, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, spoke these words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. 50 years later, the legendary story of Apollo 11 finally makes its way into Hollywood.
The Plot
First Man, directed by Damien Chazelle, is a spectacular and enthralling biopic of Neil Armstrong’s journey through the United States space program of the 1960s.
The movie begins in 1962, shortly after Neil and Janet Armstrong’s only daughter, Karen, dies from complications related to a brain tumor, at the age of two. Only a few months after the tragic incident, Armstrong applies to be an astronaut on Project Gemini, NASA’s second human spaceflight program and precursor to the Apollo project. The American space program is, at this time, shifting rapidly and enmity between the USA and the USSR are growing. Tackling the harrowing dangers of early spaceflights in a cold war context, this compelling and nuanced portrait, based on James R. Hansen’s 2005 publication, explores the sacrifice of a man and an entire nation for one of the most hazardous and fascinating achievement in history.
The Cast
First man stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong – a relentlessly focused, disciplined, and introverted super-hero. Quintessential midwestern character, Gosling is portrayed as an honorable and humble man, thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and leaving us with a lasting impression of awe, patriotism and gratitude.
First Man: Ryan Gosling (left) & Clair Foy (right)
Clair Foy, starring as Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix’s series The Crown, plays Neil Armstrong’s wife, Janet. Figure of the thankless 1960s housewife, Janet is the rock that keeps the family together, bringing both pragmatism and heart to an understated biopic. A fascinating and complex performance.
Damien Chazelle stars Kyle Chandler in the role of Deke Slayton, Chief of the Astronaut Office. Pablo Schreiber, Corey Stoll, Jason Clarke, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Luka Haas and Shea Whingham, other central figures of the movie, appear as astronauts on Project Gemini (from left to right).
First Man: Cast
Critics
First Man surfaced as one of this year’s strongest Oscar candidates. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, the visceral historical drama received an 88% fresh and an average critic rating of 8.1/10 from Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, on the other hand, were less enthusiastic, giving it a B+ CinemaScore and an unimpressive 61% on Rotten Tomatoes!
In terms of box office, the firm earned $16.5 million over its first three days, a result way below expectations caused by the underestimated success of Venom and A Star is Born. But despite this slow start, Universal distribution president Jim Orr remains very optimistic about the film’s financial future: “Audiences, critics and award pundits will be talking about ‘First Man’ for months, well into the New Year,” he said. “We anticipate ‘First Man’ to have a very long, successful run at the domestic box office, which it certainly deserves.”
Where to watch it?
First Man opened in theaters and IMAX on October 12th, and will be running until the end of the year!
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