USA TODAY International Edition
‘First Man’ shoots for moon but just misses
The mysterious vastness of space in “First Man” is like an open book compared to the enigma of its central historical figure. Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong as a stoic explorer who defied life-ordeath circumstances on his way to making that famous “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” yet also as an American icon haunted not by his own mortality but the loss of a child. While director Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” rated PG-13; in theaters nationwide Friday) on one hand marks a stunning filmmaking achievement chronicling the marvels and mishaps that led to the 1969 lunar landing, it also weathers turbulence in creating a needed connection between its intensely quiet hero and an audience. From the very start, Armstrong’s head is in the clouds – and above them, in the test pilot’s perilous 1961 X-15 flight that gives him just a peek at space before a terrifying return trip in which he’s almost swept to his doom. His heart, however, is with his young daughter, Karen, who dies at age 2 a year later from a brain tumor. A talented engineer, Armstrong loses himself in his work and applies to be a NASA astronaut at an important time: President Kennedy has publicly announced the goal of going to the moon by the end of the decade. From a technical standpoint, “First Man” wows in almost every aspect. Justin Hurwitz’s score complements the majesty and danger Chazelle shows in his space-race scenes. And with close-ups and shaky-cam work, the filmmaker puts you in an astronaut’s helmet as much as he can. It’s an ambitious next step from the “Whiplash” and “La La Land” director that’s missing the secret sauce that made those films great. In his previous works, Chazelle mined the flawed soul of artists in tales that were notably personal, while “First Man” is a story of an introvert that too often feels distant. Gosling solidly does his part: Armstrong’s emotions pour out in only a few scenes dealing with his daughter’s death, and they pay off later in satisfying fashion. Mostly the astronaut takes a reserved, workmanlike approach on the job and at home. He won’t talk about Karen with Ed White (Jason Clarke), his closest astronaut friend, or his loving wife, Janet (Claire Foy). Armstrong’s isolation is seen in intriguing yin/yang contrast to his lunar-landing partner, Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll), who’s usually the most annoying guy in the room, with a cockiness that balances Armstrong’s reticence. Foy is key to Gosling’s performance working and a linchpin for the movie’s success. She basically orders him to tell his sons their dad might not come home from space and lambasts NASA honcho Deke Slayton (Kyle Chandler) when he shuts off communications with her husband during a troublesome mission. “You’re a bunch of boys making models out of balsa wood,” Janet seethes. “You don’t have anything under control.” “First Man” has its challenges, though you’re apt to forget them once Armstrong reaches the moon, a brilliantly captured movie moment (with a very prominent American flag, in case you were worried) that reminds we can accomplish wonders with our collective gumption – and that a hero doesn’t need to be understood to be respected.