First Man (2018) (1 Viewer)

[TJPC]

Did they sometimes use actual props from the era? I noticed that sometimes panels in say the Gemini space capsule looked old and rusty instead of brand new.

 

[Wayne_j]

I just checked the schedule and Empire 25 is still playing First Man in IMAX 5 times a day next week.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I just checked the schedule and Empire 25 is still playing First Man in IMAX 5 times a day next week.

I don't think anything else is scheduled to take over the IMAX screens until Bohemian Rhapsody. This is probably a benefit Universal has with IMAX due to having shot the moon sequence with their cameras.

But the -46.5% drop this weekend is very troubling and indicates that any hope they might have had for a leggy run throughout awards season is misplaced.

Maybe Universal is so delighted with the mega-success of Halloween that they won't notice? Only half-kidding here, but at least they have that one working for them right now financially speaking because First Man unfortunately certainly is not.

 

[Tino]

Most of First Man’s Oscar chances evaporated after its first weekend gross.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Most of First Man’s Oscar chances evaporated after its first weekend gross.

Well yeah, but the comps last week that they were making were to Argo and Bridge of Spies, which had unusually high multiples for this time of year because they figured into the awards race. The percentage drop makes extra clear that that kind of sustainability is not happening in this case.

 

[Tino]

Halloween has a better chance at winning Oscars than First Man does.

 

[GlennF]

Saw this in IMAX today. There were things I liked. Gosling and Foy were good, the sound was great and some good effects but...…
I HATED the shaky, hand held, grainy, soft focus, close up shots they used for virtually every scene. I found it very off putting and at one point, about a half hour in, considered leaving. I stuck with it. Gravol might have helped. Some good things but the director's approach just did not work for me at all. I know the focus was supposed to be on Armstrong but I got no real understanding of why he was the kind of person he was. I can see why he and his wife eventually divorced. (Unless I have that wrong.)
The part on the moon was well done, but the sequence seemed too short to me. THE RIGHT STUFF. Now, that is a great film about space travel.

 

[Ahab]

I know the focus was supposed to be on Armstrong but I got no real understanding of why he was the kind of person he was. I can see why he and his wife eventually divorced. (Unless I have that wrong.)
The part on the moon was well done, but the sequence seemed too short to me. THE RIGHT STUFF. Now, that is a great film about space travel.

I think the film does a good job of showing what kind of person he was. Given that he had a very normal family history with no traumatic events early in life I'm not sure the question of why is of much interest here or even possible to answer.

Been reading the book the film is based on: "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong". The author, James R. Hansen, gives a lot of detailed information about the history of the space program. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in that subject.

Although I love the film The Right Stuff (watch it at least once a year) it is not as historically accurate as the film First Man. For example, by placing so much emphasis on Chuck Yaeger it distorts one's view of the development of the space program.

 

[Nelson Au]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 and it’s first flight to orbit the moon. It also capped off a remarkably turbulent 1968 with the largest viewing audience of the world watching man orbit the moon and bring back the remarkable Earth rise image.

I think I heard of a film that is being made to mark the event.

Merry Christmas ...to all of you on the good Earth.

 

[SamT]

Liked the movie but I had a real issue with the shaky close up shots. It's totally ok for the flight scenes to be like that to show the claustrophobic environment but it's too much when they are on earth and in their own home. It would have been a great contrast if we had beautiful steady shots on earth.

 

[TonyD]

Just finished it earlier today.
Like it didn’t love it.
It wasn’t boring but did feel looong.

Did they really pronounce Gemini as “Gem-in-ee” rhymes with See?

 

[Carabimero]

I saw this last night and really liked it. Some have criticized it for what they feel is the character assassination of an American hero: how dare Neil Armstrong be portrayed as emotionally repressed!

I see it as an examination of the cost of heroism. Often it's the very traits that don't suit our personal lives well that make us aptly suited for the specialized pressures of our career. I can think of no better example than Armstrong. The author of the book on which the movie was based says the movie got him right. I knew a lot of folks from Armstrong's generation, especially those who served in the war, who hardly ever showed emotion.

I appreciated the portrayal of Armstrong, especially the restricted first-person POV, and the photo-real effects.

I'm glad we didn't get another movie like THE RIGHT STUFF. That movie is great, granted, but it portrays the characters as larger than life, not, I would argue, particularly realistically. It's the very attempt to get Armstrong right that I most appreciate about FIRST MAN.

I just bought the soundtrack on CD. It has a great symmetry to it. I think it suits Armstrong's steely focus on his other-worldly objective perfectly.

I think the movie could have been cut by about 15-20 minutes. For that reason I give it three out of four stars.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Did they really pronounce Gemini as “Gem-in-ee” rhymes with See?

They certainly did, young man. Watch, listen, and learn...

 

[TonyD]

Btw for those that give this 1/5 stars I don’t care how many movies you watch a week this is not a 1 Star move.

Btw is saying someone watching 5 movies a week supposed to mean their opinion is a valid one or more valid then a person who watches 5 movies a month.

What does watching 5 movies a week have to do with anything anyway.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

What does watching 5 movies a week have to do with anything anyway.

It means they are 5 times more likely to express an incorrect opinion of a movie each week.

 

[TonyD]

It means they are 5 times more likely to express an incorrect opinion of a movie each week.

Clearly

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Btw for those that give this 1/5 stars I don’t care how many movies you watch a week this is not a 1 Star move.

Agreed. I think it's severly underrated.

Btw is saying someone watching 5 movies a week supposed to mean their opinion is a valid one or more valid then a person who watches 5 movies a month. What does watching 5 movies a week have to do with anything anyway.

Only one example comes to mind where it makes a difference (at least to me). I had a friend tell me that Aquaman was the best film of 2018. Of course he only saw 6 films last year (Aquaman, Deadpool 2, Infinity War, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Venom, and Black Panther). So in his case, I'm not going to value his opinion about the best film of the year as highly as someone who has seen more films. But yes, someone who sees 5 movies per week isn't more valid than someone who sees 5 per month.

 

[dpippel]

We watched this last night (with no idea that today is the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire - what a coincidence!) and thought it was very good, but not great. The way that Armstrong's character was portrayed fit right in with Gosling's acting style, and the supporting cast was fantastic. The effects, particularly the opening sequence of Armstrong piloting the X-15, were spectacular! The ATMOS audio track put me right there in the cockpit with him. Wowsers! All-in-all we really enjoyed the film. 1/5 stars? I don't understand that. I'd give it a solid 3.5/5.

 

[Tino]

To be clear no one in this thread who has seen the film gave it 1/5 stars.

 

[Tino]

They felt the film was a dramatic failure, giving it 1 out of 5 stars. And these are 2 people that belong to a local cinema society and see, on average, 3-4 films a week.

Which of course, as others have also mentioned, makes their opinion of the film no more valid than others.

And to be fair, on my first viewing I thought the film was slow and laborious. I have since changed my mind and would give it a solid 3 out of four stars.