PIC of the Week – First Man
Article series by Ray Schillaci
When Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released the 4K/Blu of Damien Chazelle’s First Man, I went in having my doubts about the film for several reasons. First off, I was not an admirer of Chazelle’s last film LA LA Land. Second, I already made my thoughts clear just on the trailer alone in a previous article. I just couldn’t see another successful history lesson on film about NASA after Philip Kaufman’s glorious The Right Stuff and Ron Howard’s exhilarating Apollo 13. And third, Neil Armstrong, the astronaut, is not the most charismatic character to base a film on. In fact, Ryan Gosling was probably cast because he can play pensive, boring people very well. All that being said, I’m here to eat my words.
Writer/director Chazelle plays it very smart by having his movie centered more on the missions, Gemini and Apollo, then on Armstrong himself. It’s Chazelle’s visuals and sound that dazzle and are the star of the show. Chazelle has also peppered the casting with some very interesting players including Claire Foy as Armstrong’s very conflicted wife and Jason Clarke as Ed White, the emotional astronaut that tries to get closer to Armstrong. Corey Stoll is wonderful as the annoying Buzz Aldrin that always speaks his mind. Kyle Chandler takes the reins as Deke Slayton, the Chief of Operations, and Shea Whigham captures the toughness of Gus Grissom.
How does Chazelle separate his film from the other classics? By placing us right in the driver’s seat. Chazelle captures the solitude, the claustrophobia, and the sheer terror of all the sounds of launching a human being into space all the while having us thinking this is nuts. It’s like the most insane ride at Magic Mountain times ten.
In some ways, I almost felt a bit of nostalgia with the first launch. It felt like the first time I experienced Disneyland’s Rocket to the Moon. Baby boomers may recall this fabulous simulation that had an audience sit in a circular domed theater with three tiered rows with a round movie screen in the center and another on the ceiling. The entire theater becomes a very realistic journey replete with realistic sounds from massive speakers and seats that shook and gave you the sensation of zero gravity.
The recreation that Chazelle delivers is Oscar-worthy, and depending on your sound system, could make you feel like you’re being sent into orbit. This alone is worth the price of the 4K. But, what about Gosling? Am I forgetting who the film is suppose to be about? Not exactly, but it’s hard to care about Armstrong, a man who allegedly no one, not even his wife and kids, got close to. Yes, we are witness to a tragedy in his life that makes him all the more quiet and alone, but that tragedy also affected his wife and kid as well.
Sure, we see him playing with his kids now and then, and mourning over his personal tragedy and those colleagues he loses over the years, but his obsession with the missions nearly becomes overwhelming and rarely fascinates us. But, Chazelle does an admirable job in capturing the man. Once again, it is the missions that are the star of this movie. Sadly, this is Chazelle’s least popular film. With a budget of 59 million, and it all shows on screen, the domestic box office was a bomb at just over 44 million. Worldwide it grossed just over 100M.
As for the 4K picture, it’s quite soft. Not the sharpness that many of us are use to. I believe this was intended by the director for nostalgic purposes. So, those who disdain that grainy look, you’re going to have a field day with complaints. And, here is one film that was very little difference between the 4K visual and the Blu.
Now, what will blow everyone away is the sound. Both 4K and Blu have the Dolby ATMOS, and it will have your living space turned into the outer space. You apartment dwellers please use caution when watching this film. You may have your neighbors thinking they are experiencing a 7.8 quake. The real nice part about all this, even the quiet moments are a bit of serenity to the ears.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment gives us a little over a half hour of bonus material. The nice part is that we can find it on both the 4K and the Blu. There is also a very interesting commentary track by Chazelle that can be a bit dry, but eventually fascinates. Bonus features include…
• Deleted Scenes
• Shooting for the Moon
• Preparing to Launch
• Giant Leap in One Small Step
• Mission Gone Wrong
• Putting You in the Seat
• Recreating the Moon Landing
• Shooting at NASA
• Astronaut Training
• Feature Commentary with Director Damien Chazelle, Screenwriter Josh Singer and Editor Tom Cross
Here is one of the best of 2018, and deserves to be seen.
Best Price – $24.99 – Best Buy, Amazon
