Lesson 135: First Man: Shake, Rattle and Roleplay

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, bottle up their emotions for this week’s review of First Man (2018). Director Damien Chazelle reunites with his leading man from La La Land, Ryan Gosling, for an introspective look at the personal story behind Neil Armstong’s journey to become the first man to step onto the lunar surface in NASA’s moon landing in 1969. Featuring a solid co-leading performance from Claire Foy as Armstrong’s wife, Janet, First Man provides a textured portrait of the man behind the gold visor and explores both the technological and psychological aspects of preparing for what could have been a one-way trip.

Does Chazelle’s film stick the landing, so to speak, or is it a failure to launch? Listen in for a glimpse at what has critics declaring this one an award season contender and audiences biding their time before viewing.