First Man

Released in 2018, First Man was a hit with critics but underperformed a bit at the box-office. Some of this was likely due to some buffoons who criticized the film for political reasons even though they hadn't even seen it but, that's not what this post is about...

First Man was directed by Damien Chazelle and stars Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler. The film centers around Neil Armstrong (played by Gosling), the early years of NASA, and the events that eventually lead to the moon landing. While I usually try my best to go into a movie without any expectations, I did have high hopes for this one. As a kid I was fascinated by the space program, I think Ryan Gosling is a great actor, and I thought that both of Chazelle's previous films (Whiplash and La La Land) were home runs. First Man did not disappoint, I found it thoroughly enjoyable. That being said, it's not a movie that I would recommend to everyone. If you're looking for the next Apollo 13, where everyone always says the right thing or has a great speech and the movie makes you want to cheer by the end, this isn't it. It's much more focused on the sacrifices involved and risk to human life that came with attempting a feat that no man ever had. 

It's well directed, well acted, I found the story compelling and the musical scores is terrific. Overall, I think this is a really solid movie and I give it a 4 out of 5.

La La Land (2016)

La La Land is the recently released musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. This was one of those films that I didn't necessarily have high expectations for, but I was looking forward to checking it out for sure.

 So, is it any good?

Well, it does come off a little bit of a pretentious a few times. That's not to say the movie isn't bad by any stretch, I actually really liked it but, there are moments when the songs and 'artistic vision' seems to take precedent over plot. It's a tricky balance that very few musicals walk flawlessly. The film contains a pretty basic story that you've seen before, you know where it's going, and there is a fair amount of romantic-comedy fluff.  However, I found myself willing to forgive some of those tired plot points because Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling both give such solid performances. Both of the main characters are likeable, and they do seem to have good on-screen chemistry. I thought the first 10-15mins or so were by far the weakest part of the film, but it gets on track pretty quick.

The song sequences are good, for the most part, and there's definitely a tune or two you'll probably find yourself humming as you leave the theater. The "A Lovely Night" scene in particular was one of the highlights of the movie for me. The cinematography throughout is solid and there are a few really outstanding moments.

Overall, I found it very entertaining. I don't think it's one of the all-time great musicals but, if you generally like that type of film, I say check it out.

I give this one a 4 out of 5.

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