Review of First Man

First Man (2018)
5/10
Long, quiet and solemn, this film tries to look inwards, only to find dullness
16 December 2018
First man is the story of Neil Armstrong and the events leading up to the moon landing. Niel is portrayed as a rather silent type, and whole swathes of the film are devoid of dialogue or even any real actions, in an attempt to portray solemnity and introspection. These long arduous swathes of quiet life are routinely interrupted by realities of Neil's position in the forefront of the space race, operating in a dangerous, high octane and pioneering world of space exploration. The juxtaposing effect of switching between dull solemn slow moments in life and the high risk extreme moments of the space program is a nice idea, but it's a trick that runs out of steam the first time it is used, and certainly doesn't hold up for an entire movie where it is used again and again. What you're left with is an incredibly long movie, with huge swathes of boredom and inactivity. The dialogue is almost non existent, and most of the characters flat and devoid of interest, most of all- the character of Neil Armstrong which is portrayed as a joyless dull man. Maybe if this movie was a full hour shorter it could had been good. The current edit, for me, was agonizingly dull.

If the subject matter interests you enough, or if you're into slow brooding introspective movies- as long as you know what you're getting you self into, you could give this movie a go. Alternatively, if you're having trouble sleeping- here is your chance at a good nights sleep.
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