The young but super-talented director Damien Chazelle has already made a big name for himself, even though he has just made four films till date. Getting high acclaim for Whiplash and La La Land, Chazelle has also won the Academy Award for the Best Director for La La Land in 2017. While his previous films have been themed around music, Chazelle has given the idea a break to make a film on the first man to step on the moon. His upcoming film, simply titled First Man, is based on the life of American astronaut Neil Armstrong and his famous space exploration story.

Damien Chazelle reunites with his La La Land male lead Ryan Gosling with the latter playing Armstrong in First Man. The movie also stars Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciaran Hinds, Patrick Fugit and Lukas Haas. First Man recently had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival that was attended by the director and the main cast.

Thanks to the early screening, the first reviews are in and they are in unanimous praise for First Man. The movie has been praised for its visual excellence, writing, Chazelle's direction and Ryan Gosling's performance. Check out what major websites are saying about the film -

The Hollywood Reporter says, "The tendency to favor focused understatement over showiness carries through into the period work of production designer Nathan Crowley and costumer Mary Zophres. And the quiet majesty of the drama owes much to the infinite moods of Justin Hurwitz’s masterful score, from tender, melodic passages through echoes (intended?) of vintage Jerry Goldsmith to a rare burst of full-thrust power when the lunar surface is first glimpsed up close. The archival version of that visual is embedded in countless memories, as Armstrong’s footprint marks the first human contact with the Moon’s powdery surface. The magic of Chazelle’s fine film is that it allows us to share directly in that momentous discovery."

The Guardian says, "Damien Chazelle hits the key of C major with his visually ravishing, dramatically conservative story of Neil Armstrong, starring Ryan Gosling and adapted by screenwriter Josh Singer from the James R Hansen biography. The first man on the moon and a living embodiment of the American century, Armstrong was the American Adam, without an Eve, without a downfall; an explorer who found his Eden, came back, withdrew enigmatically from public life and lived to see the US and the world lose interest in space travel. Like Concorde, it was a type of futurism that became a thing of the past."

The Film Stage says, "First Man would be impressive even without the palpable fear that emanates from Gosling’s haunting breathing, the space helmet fogging up the camera’s lens, but it is that immersive experience that puts it over the top. The look on Gosling’s eyes as the moon materializes on the horizon, the lunar surface suddenly reflected on his helmet, captures the film’s magnetic dancing between tragedy and wonder. Nobody has taken us to space this way before."

While you are it, also check out the new trailer for the film -

First Man will release worldwide in October 2018 by Universal Pictures.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2018 11:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).