First MAN   2.8***

               Ryan Gosling and director Damien Chazelle ( La La Land and Whiplash) reteam for a mostly understated  dramatic account of Neil Armstrong (Gosling) and his life during the 1960s. The film presents more of an intimate focus on the man and his family  and his sacrifices rather than a “rah rah" retelling of the space race. Much screen time is devoted to Armstrong and his wife Janet (Claire Foy), including dealing with tragedy (the death of his 3 year old daughter to brain cancer and the harsh realities of the dangers of being an astronaut ( as movingly shown by the scene of Armstrong painfully telling his sons that he may never come back from his moon mission).

Any  discussion of this movie  brings up a comparison to The Right Stuff,  Apollo 13 and Gravity. Those were space movies. On the other hand, First Man is a movie set partially in space. Specifically, it's a family drama - an intimate and personal portrait of a man and his family.  As for the space scenes, they are spectacular and better than most movies before it. They aren't sexy or glamorous. They’re realistic in a way I don't think I've seen before and all the more powerful for it. I strongly believe this movie captures what it feels  like to actually ride in those small claustrophobic space vehicles in a way that’s not  been done before.

Nonetheless , the movie was somewhat of a letdown for me for given reasons.The focus is on the man, Neil Armstrong, who was a  great hero but as a man he was reticent, withdrawn and a man of few words. This does not make for good drama. And there is also the fact that everyone knows how it turns out.... he’s the first man to walk on the Moon and return safely . So all the dangerous events he encounters beforehand, though quite well done, are not very suspenseful because we know he survives . Finally the movie is too long ( 2 hr & 21 min) and whatever tension could have been generated is sucked out by the time it’s over.

 Overall I  liked the movie for what it is; a well-made biopic of a fascinatingly courageous  man with awesome scenes in space.