"First Man" Review

Space movies have piqued our interest for years. But there is nothing like the real story.

Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon, we all knew that. He was a private man, and as we reached for the stars, very little was known about the private life of the commander of Apollo 11.

"First Man" takes us through the Gemini and Apollo era, and tells us in the first minutes of the heartbreak that shaped Armstrong's life. Much as "The Right Stuff" did decades ago, it takes us through the private tragedies of the astronauts who lived, and died, to explore new frontiers. And it brings us a front seat view into the heartache of the families who lost love ones to the grand adventure.

Ryan Gosling plays Armstrong convincingly, and Claire Foy gives a convincing performance as Armstrong's longsuffering wife, Janet, who watches as the space program progresses. The movie walks us through the highs and lows of the space program, intelligently exposing us to the political climate that surrounded the launch.

"First Man" is a compelling chapter in US space history, and largely passes the truth meter. There is speculation at the end regarding Armstrong's ten minutes away from Aldrin on the moon, but even Armstrong's son believes the speculation rings very plausible.