The Film “First Man” was aired at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday to tremendous applause and a standing ovation. The movie shows the steps Neil Armstrong had to take before his final famous step onto the moon. The movie tells the difficult story of Armstrong and the trials and tribulations the astronaut went through to achieve his final goal.

Ryan Gosling plays the role of Neil Armstrong and according to reviews, played it very well. He shows that Armstrong was a very quiet man who had difficulty engaging with his family and friends and also found it hard to show his feelings.

Characters in 1960s mode in 'First Man'

This isn’t the first time Gosling has played an introverted character, but the role of Armstrong was particularly challenging. The film was directed by Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”) and takes viewers through eight years of experimenting with space flights with many tragedies prior to the famous moon landing in 1969.

As noted by the Independent’s reviewer, David Lister, Gosling as Armstrong manages to totally impress, while showing virtually no expression throughout the film. Armstrong’s wife, Jan is played by Claire Foy and the review says Foy is the epitome of a 1960s American housewife, able to accept that her husband cannot communicate with the family properly, especially when they lose their young daughter.

In the trailer included below, her character only loses it twice. Once is when Claire confronts the NASA engineers who she believes have put her husband in danger.

They respond by saying “We are in control,” to which she replies, “You’re not in control at all.”

The second time is when she demands Armstrong to tell their young sons where he is heading and tells him to say goodbye, in case he doesn’t return. One of his sons is upset to realise that his father won’t be able to attend his swim meet, as he would be up in space.

The film also highlighted the US and Russian space race at the time of the Cold War, and all its implications. However, the Telegraph noted that the film did not show Armstrong planting a US flag on the moon.

When Gosling was asked about whether this was an “un-American” take on the story, he replied that Armstrong’s great accomplishment went on to transcend countries and borders, as the world watched on.

Three-minute standing ovation at Venice Film Festival

Deadline reports that the film is so good, it received a three-minute standing ovation at the press screening earlier in the day.

This was given by jurors and guests, which included Naomi Watts, Guillermo del Toro, Taika Waititi and Christoph Walz. The report said this ovation was respectful and fitting for the skilled and often solemn film, particularly noting Gosling’s performance of Armstrong’s reserved character.

Meanwhile, Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 92 percent rating and there were positive reviews from leading world newspapers, particularly praising the technical ability of the filmmakers, incredible visuals and great performances, particularly by Gosling and Foy.

The rest of us will have to wait until "First Man" premieres in cinemas on 12th Oct 2018.
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