First Man

"It happened sooner than expected: at the tender age of 33 years old, Oscar golden boy Damien Chazelle decided it was time to make his stodgy, pedestrian Clint Eastwood-in-twilight biopic. With Whiplash and La La Land, Chazelle brought a distinctive brio to his tales of protagonists incurring sacrifices in the pursuit of greater ambition. First Man too, is a variant of this theme, sensitive, predominantly, to the personal collateral damage of its characters above all else."

"After seeing First Man, it’s doubtful you’ll think about space flight, or Armstrong’s historic walk, in quite the same way."

"All that gloom gradually smothers the film, with each shot of Armstrong staring, pained, at the moon (we get it; that's where he's going) further diluting the movie's pull."

"Gosling and especially Foy are out of this world."

"Thrilling when it escapes the gravity of drab living rooms and offices, First Man does an admirable job of complexifying a well-told tale."

"The film reconstitutes our taciturn hero as a man riven with grief after the death of his daughter...It's a bold move and seems to inform Gosling's every decision as an actor."

"Chazelle has always specialised in virtuoso endings, and his sure hand and sharp eye brings this ambitious character study smoothly into land."

"It is a movie packed with wonderful vehemence and rapture: it has a yearning to do justice to this existential adventure and to the head-spinning experience of looking back on Earth from another planet."

"The performances by Gosling - in a difficult, interior role - and Foy are exemplary."

"First Man is the opposite of triumphalist, but an absolute triumph from beginning to end."

"Whatever its missteps, "First Man" represents a principled attempt to reconsider what heroism looks and sounds like, to think beyond the reductive rah-rah parameters that have led so many to confuse jingoism with art."

"This is a confident but pretty bland technical exercise... The overall result is an authentic, visually impressive viewing experience that doesn't quite land."

"This sober, contemplative picture has emotional involvement, visceral tension, and yes, even suspense, in addition to stunning technical craft."

"Though its bravely unorthodox visual style and skeletal storytelling structure are sure to divide viewers in months to come, First Man is still undoubtedly one of the best and most significant movie releases of 2018."

"...a down-to-earth and frequently nail-biting piece of cinema."

"Astonishing. The definitive take on a monumental moment in history - without ever losing sight of the man underneath the visor."