First Man (2018)

My Review

“First Man” is the life story of astronaut Neil Armstrong from his personal experiences to his career in space to being the first man on the moon. Director Damien Chazelle (“La La Land” 2016) put together what amounts to an average drama with some segments of slow moving scenes and dialogue, due to an uneven screenplay by Josh Singer. It was adapted from the 2005 book of the same name by James R. Hansen. Also, the film is just too long with a 141 minute running time.

The cast’s performances were at least adequate, with Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciaran Hinds, Shea Whigham, Lukas Haas, Pablo Schreiber, Brain d’Arcy James, and Olivia Hamilton. “First Man” was a box office disappointment for executive producer Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Pictures, Perfect World Pictures, Temple Hill Entertainment, and Universal Pictures.

It was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning one for Best Visual Effects. Non-winners include Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. It was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.