The following is an edition of Panther Picture Spotlight, The Mirror’s movie column. All views, thoughts and opinions belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Drury Mirror. 

“First Man” is the latest from director Damien Chazelle. He is most known for the hit musical “La La Land,” but was also the director of the hugely under-seen “Whiplash.”  His first two feature length films are two of the best of the current decade.

“First Man,” though, does not live up to their legacy. One of the most anticipated films of this year’s awards season crashes under the weight of its own ambition.

The film advertises itself as a story about Neil Armstrong. To an extent, it is. But the film is also about so much more: too much more. The film jumps from one aspect of the moon landing to another so quickly that it forgets to really explore any aspect of the event in much depth.

There is a strange moment after some of the astronauts are killed in a fire during an attempted flight. For about five minutes, the story moves to the idea of whether or not the accomplishment is worth the cost.

There is footage of Kurt Vonnegut speaking of how the money used for the flight could be used to fix New York instead. There is a man reading “Whitey on the Moon.” There is even a news show with people discussing the space-race, which is the laziest way in filmmaking to show how groups react to events.

After that, though, the idea goes away. It is not expanded upon.  Just because Space Force is stupid, this addition to the film does not make it feel more relevant; it just makes it feel bloated.

This is a microcosm of most every other problem in the film. The script does not feel like it delves into a theme or character. It just feels like it wants to be about everything, so it comes across as being about nothing.

There are positives aspects of the film, though. Chazelle is an incredibly talented director. As he proved in “Whiplash,” he knows how to build tension unlike many other filmmakers. The opening scene really showcases that talent.

The scene follows Armstrong as he pilots a plane above the atmosphere and back down to earth. A nerve wracking feat, Chazelle’s direction and Tom Cross’ editing fill the scene with white-knuckled suspense without ever needing to explain the details of what is going on. They trust the audience to understand enough to follow and fill in the specifics later.

The performances are also spectacular. Ryan Gosling delivers his best quiet performance since “Drive.” Claire Foy offers a hard look on the role of women in the ‘60s and being married to a man whose job forces the reality that he might not return every night.

Listing every great performance would take too long, but it suffices to say that the film does not really have a weak link in this respect.

These strengths, however, cannot overcome the weaknesses of an overlong script that does not stay interested in any one subject for very long. There are some great moments: even some that are heart-wrenching and beautiful. As a whole, however, it does not feel greater than the sum of its parts.

Written by Jacob Maher.