I still haven't got the faintest idea what to say about this film, only that I loved it; it was as good as I was hoping it would be (and sort of quite different to what I'd expected); and that the score is monumental and haunting and oh god I tried to listen to it on the tube next day and boy did it give me the creeps.
What excites me most is that I know this will stand up to a repeat viewing, and I can't wait.
I'm not sure what possessed Chazelle to wrap on La La Land and then decide to embark upon a project like First Man, but in some ways I can see the logic. Either way I expected big setpieces, warm and tender moments, and a banging opener - and First Man delivers.
Coming from a lifetime spent re-watching Apollo 13 with all of its technical accuracy, I sincerely hoped First Man would score well on that front and by all accounts…
I can't get over how beautiful this film looks. Every shot is a stunner, and some of the lighting effects and textures are so hyper-realistic. As a narrative it moves along at a fast clip, and as a sci-fi (ish) film, I only got confused like twice. The gravity of the allusion to the 2011 earthquake hit hard but was dealt with very carefully. And can we talk about the wonderful plot device of keeping diaries on a smartphone? I…
Pretty riveting documentary - everyone loves a villain - and pretty beautifully shot and edited with great use of recent and older archival footage. Unsettling to watch during le Tour de France, but of course that's what reminded me to watch it in the first place.
