First Man reviewed by Mark Kermode
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 жов 2018
- Mark Kermode reviews First Man. A biopic of Neil Armstrong and the legendary space mission that made him the first man on the Moon.
Please tell us what you think of the film -- or Mark’s review of the film. We love to include your views on the show every Friday.
If you like this, why not subscribe to our podcast for more reviews, interviews and general wittering of the highest order: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00l...
Twitter: @Wittertainment
www.bbc.co.uk/5live
Fridays at 2pm on BBC 5 live. - Фільми й анімація
Why is Mark speaking into a fire extinguisher?
Brilliant:)
Ha so true!
He's on fire!
Not sure, but it’s in beautiful focus.
Because he makes inflammatory remarks?
The moment the older boy shakes his hand before leaving broke my heart.
I've just come back from a screening.. it's an epic film. It was an uncanny experience , having been so familiar with the original footage, to see it so accurately recreated (and I was dreading that fire) . It flew by (no pun intended) and I desperately wanted to see the ticker tape parades etc.. but it ended perfectly. Gosling was brilliant as Armstrong and Foy was excellent too.
Nice to see there still film makers shooting on film 🎞 it amazing seeing the imax scenes
Can't believe they killed Neil off in the first 5 minutes... Didn't see that coming.
Subverted my expectations
and that shark sequence was really shocking too!
I trust this mans reviews. Best critic ever
I loved this film, the scale of space being created by the wonderful sound design and cinematography was so effective. made me breathless on several occasions. a beautiful film.
Saw this film and really enjoyed it. It's definitely not a slow movie. It waits just long enough between the action bits so they don't all blend together, so It feels like a real journey and not a mish-mash.
Just got back from seeing it, really liked it. Chazelle is easily one of the best directors around today.
The first five minutes of this film were tough to watch, the grief was tangible.
The last twenty minutes were about as gripping as science fiction can be. Except, it wasn't fiction. (unless you listen to ill-informed conspiracy theorists)
I find this film truly beautiful. From start to finish it is a feast for the eyes. Damian Chazelle has a great eye. I love how his films look.
Tremendous, but emotionally draining. It’s like someone imbued Apollo 13 with the sense of threat that Gravity had. I recently read and adored the book this is based on, and they complement each other well, the film using dramatisation to speculate about Armstrong’s inner life in the same way the book used after-the-fact interviews and its broader timespan.
Looking forward to seeing this on Saturday night. Have to say I'm a little disappointed that my two local multiplex cinema's both have very minimal showings on offer. Obviously not enough robots smashing into each other for their liking. Because of this I fear it will pass many by, and from what I've read it's worth a watch.
Luckily my local cineworld has a tonne of showings of the film putting it in the biggest screens too...
Nice to see some of these films getting a big pull
Robots smashing into each other has as much basis in reality as the alleged apollo moon missions did. I havent seen this science fiction propoganda piece as of yet but I'm sure that when I do, it'll be my favorite comedy film of the year.
@@trustinmefail ah so original... You may crawl away now. Enjoy the film 😉
Just saw the movie. Best of the year!
You may be interested to know that the link between the moonshot and Armstrong’s grief comes more or less from the biography itself, albeit dramatised as you say. The finale of the movie - no spoilers - is not inconsistent with the historical record.
sockatume first thing I did after watching this last night was to research if the events at the crater (the “Titanic moment “) did happen. It’s nebulous to say the least. But makes for great cinema
Abbas Zaidi Titanic is a good comparison. Could have happened, probably didn’t.
Mark "It's not a film about a shark" Kermode didn't mention Silent Running... I saw First Man last night on IMAX and it was glorious. Claire Foy was perfect. The casting overall was perfect. Some scenes reminded me of Tree of Life. See it if you want to watch great cinema. Don't, if you want Armageddon or Prometheus.
Mr Charles who would want Prometheus?
Well said.
I was wondering how they'd make a movie about someone everyone knows went to the moon successfully... This has just gone from a "probably will watch at some point" to "I need to make an effort to catch this". I love Damien Chazelle, too.
They'd just make a movie about someone everyone knows went to the moon successfully.
ALANSHEARERISGOD There are plenty of movies based on real events where you know the outcome and they don’t manage to build up any tension, so it’s not an unreasonable comment. It’s to this movie’s credit that there are scenes where I knew exactly what was going to happen down to minute technical detail and I was still absolutely bricking it.
Usually I wouldn't bother bringing up the point - I'm aware there are plenty of stories in which the outcome is either a foregone conclusion or known to history (that includes adaptation of fiction, as well as movies about stuff that really happened.) And, like Kermode says here, when the movie isn't /really/ about said historical event, you can still generate a lot of tension. (first example that came to mind was The King's Speech).
But I will point out that I've seen the trailer for this, and the central dramatic question appeared from that to be an unironic "Will he make it to the moon or not?!" - and Neil Armstrong's name and accomplishments are such common knowledge that I was genuinely confused.
And now I'm thinking about remakes, especially since the new Star Is Born came out recently. Maybe somewhere in this problem/question/whatever is the key to understanding how to remake a well-known movie and do it properly.
I loved so much about this movie. Besides being an excellent character study focused on a human being instead of some country, it was also a real film about exploration. Every single mission was gripping. And the moon landing - just awesome.
I know I’m immature, but as soon as Mark started to talk about the great “Space Docking” scene, I spit out my drink with laughter.
The thing that makes this movie is the soundtrack. Just incredible.
Really great review
Just watched this. And this review is absolutely spot on.
Most definitely one of the best movies of the year. "A Star is Born" can hide itself in front of this one. :)
That landing scene was pretty damn majestic. That main theme is a 10/10.
The Saturn V launch and the lunar surface make this an IMAX 'must see'. NASA sent a man to the Moon because he could be more than a robot, unfortunately, they sent a man who often behaved like a robot. He chilled out a bit towards the end of his life but he never wanted to talk about the human experience, preferring to discuss only the engineering. In fact, walking on the Moon didn't really interest him at all, he was a pilot, they're interested in flying, not walking. A film about Buzz would be far more entertaining. Neil was a lovely, brilliant and very brave hero of a man, but he wasn't the most charismatic man to walk the Earth, or indeed the Moon. Making a film about Armstrong was always going to be a struggle, I think Rosling got him pretty much bang on.
"Going to outer space to explore inner space." Kermode channelling his Danny Dyer in Human Traffic there.
multipleman78 If this is as good as Inner Space, then I’m in! LOL JK!
Saw it last night. MK is spot on here. Fantastic piece of cinema!
The movie was not filmed on a soundstage, it was filmed on the moon. I saw it yesterday, Oct. 19, 2018. I did take notice of the photography and the use of more grainy film in the home sequences vs. more higher definition film in other parts. I liked the movie, but I'm not sure I would go back and see it again. Maybe when it comes out of the theaters I'll see it again at home. I've seen "Apollo 13" and "The Right Stuff" multiple times, but "The First Man" may not be the kind of movie one might watch more than once or twice.
However, I never had a tear in my eye with the other movies mentioned, but this one definitely struck the heartstring.
Its one of those movies I loved but couldn't bear the emotional strain of watching again anytime soon.
Garrett Dalley I agree completely. I've seen "Apollo 13" and "The Right Stuff" many times but this movie would be too difficult to watch again so soon. I'm sure someday, somebody will do a UA-cam edit with just the "action" stuff. The acting was excellent but how many times can you listen about the death of a child? Even when I listen to the audiobook by Craig Nelson "Rocket Men", I have to fast forward the part where he talks about Armstrong's daughter.
Are there any harryhausen centipedes, if not, not interested.
Thank God for Kermode......
Or Jim Sterling.
gosling's portryal is kinda like if the drive guy was in charge of rockets instead of cars now but the rest of the film was really well made
But is it about jazz?
I agree this film was an epic emotional journey
"First Man" and "Phantom Thread" are, by quite a comfortable margin, the best films I've seen in 2018.
Ernesto Lombardo
Agreed 👌
Although First Man was slated by the so called critics ! They shot it down & it was pulled from any awards or nominations from the Oscars that year, how & why ? Gosling was on top form & Chazelle (Director) brought history & fact (Neil Armstrong) into an all incredible story telling film about grief & loss. It wasn’t all peaches & cream for Armstrong was it? His life and baggage at times was heartbreaking. Just goes to show..... ain’t always a happy ending. And.. for me personally, the moment Gosling (Armstrong) steps into the moon for the very first time & the music score enveloped, is probably one of the greatest scenes I have ever seen on film ! Heart wrenching stuff.
As for Phantom Thread ? Well... it is Daniel Day Lewis after all ? One of the great seminal actors of a generation who no matter what the role always absolutely always delivers. I’ve no doubt you’ve seen “There Will Be Blood” with Daniel Day Lewis ? If not.... man.. GO WATCH IT NOW !!! NOW !!!
@@theoutlaw5806 Phantom Thread (and TWBB) is more than just Daniel Day Lewis - it's Paul Thomas Anderson.
Day Lewis is the perfect Béarnaise sauce on a USDA Prime Thomas Anderson steak.
Agreed - concur!
Overall I loved the film, though I couldn't stand the constant camera movement (probably didn't help watching it while hungover). With the budget they had maybe they could have used a few more locked off shots and less extreme close ups to make it less nauseating to watch!
this is such a great review, the movie is wonderful.
I'm more than a bit of a space geek, so its a subject I know intimately, and the production design, costumes, colour pallet and look of the film was smashing, but I was not at all impressed by the portrayal of Armstrong or Aldrin. Buzz comes over as nasty, and Neil like he had no sense of humour and almost had a death wish. Given how rigorous NASA psychological profiling of their crews was, given how they are portrayed neither would have been let anywhere near an Apollo mission! Also if you read any of Neil's mission transcripts or listen to the audios its clear that he had a very dry sense of humour and could express his delight in what he saw and could be quite friendly with Aldrin. (Read his Gemini mission transcript or listen to his teasing of Collins, or the talk between the crew after they have returned to Columbia.) There are a few historical points I could pick up on like the Apollo 1 fire, but for me the biggest disappointment was how they took the humanity out of the astronauts. Yes they were disciplined and highly motivated by mission objectives but they were also very human, something which Ron Howard showed in Apollo 13 and First Man does not.
untrue, Buzz is notorious for being nasty, and Neil is notorious for being stoic and closed off.
Watched the film last night and completely agree. It’s by no means awful and I will get it on Blu-ray but:
Apollo 13> The Right Stuff > First Man
@@fatuousinnovatorofsadness4640 Did they like each other, probably not but they certainly respected each other and we are talking about (for all the early astronauts) highly competitive men with enormous egos when it came to flying, but the portrayal of both men seems to miss that side of them in what I felt was very two dimensional portrayal. I understand what the film makers were trying to do by centering it on Armstrong the man but I don't think they did a very good job of it because he was an incredibly complex man and by focusing on his loss they ignored other significant parts of what made him tick.
@@fatuousinnovatorofsadness4640 Buzz is well known for being a sexy space god.. Nothing else.
You've misunderstood the film. It's a biopic of Neil Armstrong not a film about traveling to the moon. It's just hard to miss that part of his life out!
Leading actor Ryan Gosling delivers one of his best roles in this well directed, well casted, well crafted & stylish biopic that focuses well on the emotional themes of what the characters are going through in this enjoyable biopic. (87%) (4.5/5 stars) (positive)
Bang on.
Has anyone seen blindspotting in the UK?
@@gavinhenderson7250 any good?
@@gavinhenderson7250 whats the overall tone of the movie like mate?
Incredible film.
Much like in the film 'Gravity'.....where Sandra Bullock tries to escape gravity which was the very thing that killed her daughter.
Well, if anyone can do closed and emotionally detached it's Ryan Gosling...
This was a beautiful beautiful film
I thought this is a masterpiece.
Me too. I've seen it a few times & it never fails to turn me into a sobbing mess for many reasons.
@@theresechristiansen9769Hmm...I’m conflicted. Some ppl say it’s too long & boring & only able to watch it once. Others love it. As long as it’s not like “Tar” because that was truly unbearable even though I can appreciate her character...didn’t translate well into a movie for me.
Silent Running reference in *3,2,1...*
3:57 hmm, half a point to me. You disappoint me, Mark.
I agree, it's not a film about a shark. Didn't even see the Aircraft carrier pick up the astronauts when they landed in the ocean. Might have got a shark shot there.
Well it made it into space, sure. But did the film cover everything from the dawn of mankind to the birth of a brand new species...?
Always Trust in Kermode.
Except when he tries to interest you in his beach front property in Arizona. That's a big no no.
Or Twilight
I loved the film.
The themes and tone of the film seem to have been deliberately kept out of the trailers. Universal must have known how off putting that would have been to a mass audience. I went in expecting something akin to 'Apollo 13' - the grief theme and gloomy tone overwhelmed everything for me. Some great flying sequences at the start and the moon landing was suitably excellent - but in between I thought the movie was dull and overlong
D Strachan you couldn’t be more wrong. But, each to their own.
@@creepycrawler123 wrong about the themes being kept out of the trailers? It's great that you enjoyed the movie more than I did - but the promotional material was really misleading in my opinion
Saying that Jaws is about a shark is like saying that The Wizard of Oz is about a pair of cute red shoes.
The shark was the worst part of Jaws. Especially today. Only the Adam West Batman has a faker shark than Jaws. My favorite shark movie is “The Shallows” now. But yea, I love the test of the Jaws movie that isn’t showing the rubber shark. The characters & the hysteria make the film.
I reckon with NASA failing, Hollywood picking up the reins of Space Travel and Exploration is a smashing idea. 20th Century put a Man on the Moon? 21st Century we get to watch IMAX fictional accounts in glorious CGI. Wow. Did the Roadster do a cameo?
Ryan Gosling playing an introvert?
@@ririschannelx I know, he's just been a bit type cast in the last few years is all.
@@stephenprendergast6939 The Big Short and La La Land? Both have plenty of dialogue with him getting worked up or excited and very expressive. Sure he plays the stoic character well, but he's played lots of different types of roles as well
Ryan Gosling is an actor with a far bigger range than merely playing taciturn, less is more type characters that aren't particularly verbose, discursive or articulate. Yet he's brilliant at conveying emotion or a lack thereof even if the characters he plays don't say much. If a picture could paint a thousand words that would be Gosling in those kind of parts whether it's Beyond The Pines, Drive, the underrated psychedelic head trip OGF or even Blade Runner 2049. On the other hand very animated and talky roles like The Nice Guy's, Crazy Stupid Love and the Big Short where his performances couldn't be any more different than those previous roles I've already mentioned, he's verbose, witty, snarky and far more extroverted in these roles, they're not really psychological like his other roles where the emphasis is on fun and unabashed entertainment. Gosling along with Jake Gyllenhaal I think IMHO are the best actors of there generation with a tremendous range, they've already amassed an impressive body of work and I really appreciate it and love what they do!
Lmaooooo
Going to see it on Tuesday. Whiplash yes. La la Land NO. Seems like First Man is absolutely my kind of movie.
Whiplash instant yes. La La Land turned it off after the opening scene when I found out it was a musical. Watched it a second time 5 years later after seeing it on everyone’s top 10 (even though I hate musicals) & now It’s one of my favorite movies ever (even though I hate musicals). Still haven’t seen First Man but I’m hesitant because the trailer didn’t get me excited about seeing it & every time I watch a movie that I wasn’t interested in the trailer I end up not being interested in the movie either. But did you like it? Is it worth multiple viewings (should I rent or buy)?
"That vast expanse meaning something insular, looking out to look in, looking to outer space because what you're doing is looking for inner space"
Brilliantly said❤❤
The Dead stuff.
As a man born on July 24th 1969 I am looking forward to this movie.
To think that a number of Republicans & some film critics gave it negative reviews, several because we don't see Armstrong putting the flag on the moon. Yes, they agree, "we *see* the flag ON the moon but not Neil popping our flag into moon dirt."
(I feel like eating these people alive).
I thought it was a masterpiece with everyone from our Aussie Jason Clarke as Ed White, to Kyle Chandler, Gosling & Claire Foy bringing it home valiantly, with sensitive execution.
I need to get a theremin ☻
It's not a film about space? It's a film about RISK
I hated the distracting unnecessary soundtrack during the moon landing scenes. Got under my skin to the extent that I wouldn't watch it again.
Plus, I'm not that big on anything I've seen featuring Ryan Gosling.
The Gemini stuff is excellent tho.
I don't know...had a hard time identifying with the characters or the motivations in this one. Claire Foy's character is probably the best fleshed out, but she's given a fairly cliche domestic/family position. Comparing this to scientific/historical biopic like Oppenheimer really leaves this in the dust. The landing scene was well done - but maybe not worth the wait.
Can Poland into Space???
The best part in this movie is when they upload the virus into the alien mothership.
...but it is a film about space.
*** Spoilers *** It`s a film that has loneliness in it, but it's waaaaaay far from being ABOUT loneliness. There's not a journey applied to that loneliness throughout the entire movie except when the guy gets to the moon. So then, and only then, we are to believe the quantum leap produced by the movie that it was about coming to terms with grief which was of course the cause of his isolation. The movie tries to be subtle in the treatment of all that but in that process they just lose you as an espectator.
I suspect I would have preferred a film about a man going to the moon, so it is good to be warned.
Plenty of documentaries on that.
50% of the movie is still about the training, tests and the actual landing
If I had a chance I would do a documentary that explains what all the numbers and terms mean that Houston and the Eagle might call out during the descent and landing, and the last 3 minutes would be the real time landing.
I watched this last night. For a film that was telling such a big story I became irritated by what seems like too many close-ups. I kept shouting 'Pull Back' and no I am not a pilot! Spectacular performances all round and technical details though,and I would love to know what the Armstrong family think of their portrayal? Armstrong was such a machine in this film, seemingly weighed down by his determination . Doubtless the best man for the job. 'Calm in a crisis' would be an understatement! A fascinating insight, and a topper for my 'week of moon stuff' given the date.
Fab
I think I watched a different film. I got what they were trying to do, but ironically, for a film trying to be deeply personal it totally lacked any personality. I don't agree with Mark that Claire Foy offers the audience a way in, she does her best but isn't given enough to work with. There is lots about this film that is technically fantastic, the themes are clear etc. However, for me, this was dull as ditchwater!
Wait a sec, are we talking about the movie Gravity?
No sharks in space eh? Thank heavens there are shark cyborgs in the sea. Well, in the nrw Aquaman film out later this year there is. No astronauts though so it's already falling down.
Only a film made nowadays would devote so much screen time to the problems of a housewife rather than the sacrifice and achievements of men.
"It's not a film about a shark" 🤗😣
Didn’t study
A simple question, was it based on fact? Was Armstrong as traumatised by the loss his daughter as they portray, was he actually more reserved because of this, did his wife really have to force him to speak to his sons before his mission? Because if not, then in the attempt to make this film about something else other than space, it ends up doing Armstrong as disservice I think and that's taking liberties by the creators.
Thank God for German scientists.
I just found it was way too depressing for its own good.
Looking at moon for redemption? This was so cliché .. please raise your game!
This film is typical American imperialist propaganda, trying to make out that Armstrong was 'the first' person on the moon, completely ignoring the native Clangers who had been there already for thousands of years. Besides which, the Vikings got there centuries before Armstrong, anyway.
not as good as transformers 2
i watched it and that movie was rather boring, the action scenes were interesting and intense but the rest was.....boring..
I'm reluctant to be the first human being EVER to set foot on another world....but my daughter died, so I'll do it for some vague kind of personal resolution. Mmmm.
It's all dramatic invention....
Watched it last night with a combined audience of 8 people. Incredibly noisy with lots of annoying shaky cameras. Frankly it was a little overblown and dull imho.
I'll see it, I enjoyed Whiplash and i'm sure it's technically strong, but it sounds dreadful from this review - a typical Hollywood contrivance (he's exploring outer space to reach his inner space), psychologically shallow, connect all the dots so even a child would understand it...we'll see
A blank, flat-faced non-convincing actor playing a blank, flat-headed non-convincing actor.
you conspiracy theorist really need to thicken up your tin foil hats and get back to your bronze age huts where the earth remains solidly flat. Whilst you at it take some flint with so you can practice regressing back to the stone age. When you have finally 'unlearnt' how to make a fire perhaps you all will die from hypothermia and disappear for good. Only please - do it out of our sight .
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂, not a flat earther. Have lovely day X
I found it incredibly boring :(
Trust me its a snoozefest lol.
let me know what you think, audience score on rt @68%
I thought it was slow and boring too
Why should we trust Mr Kermode?
To quote Cooper from interstellar
"We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars. Now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt'
Keep looking at the dirt
Dreadful movie
Definitely a movie that was made for traditional-minded critics (aka Oscar bait).
Okay
What on earth is a "traditional-minded" critic? Anyway, this film won't win any Oscars since it (obviously) doesn't have Blacks in the cast.
Traditionally-minded, aka "not mentally deficient"?
Your credibility was ruined after giving The Last Jedi a great review! What the Hell were you thinking?!
Ryan Gosling? no thanks
Movie was meh!
So basically just a mediocre version of Moon?
Of course. Both movies feature [spoiler alert] clones so they're clearly identical.