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FIRST MAN: C
If The Revenant qualifies for “nature porn,” then First Man is the logical extension of Blade Runner 2049: “Ryan Gosling Porn—in Space!” When the camera isn’t focused on Gosling’s helmeted face, it’s on CGI constructions that suck the life out of this zero-gravity biopic. This occasionally engaging special effects extravaganza is pretty to look at, but mostly absent of the soul-stirring emotion that fueled Apollo 13 and Hidden Figures. Whereas director Damien Chazelle showed promise with his debut Whiplash, his latest feature fits into a pattern of dressed up homages to Hollywood’s past and doesn’t even qualify as revisionist history.
Sean Woodard, Staff Writer
First Man
Starring Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll
Written by Josh Singer; based on the book by James R. Hansen
Directed by Damien Chazelle
In Theaters Now