Armstrong (2019)

Director: David Fairhead
Runtime: 100 minutes

Synopsis: Dramatic, moving and deeply human, ARMSTRONG offers the definitive life story of Neil Armstrong: from his childhood in Ohio to his first steps on the Moon, and beyond.

Verdict: July 20th 1969, exactly 50 years ago today, the small step of one man changed the world as we see it. That step was the result of a lifetime of preparation, determination, and hard work of a team on a quest of achieving the impossible: Put a man on the moon. That man, chosen to be the face of that ambitious project, was Neil Armstrong, a brilliant engineer and talented pilot.

A great companion piece to "Apollo 11", a documentary that came out earlier this year that focused on the mission as a whole. "Armstrong"'s aim is to tell the much more personal story of the first astronaut to walk on the lunar surface, starting with his childhood in Ohio and ending with his unfortunate passing in 2012. In other words, it's the documentary version of Damien Chazelle's "First Man", completed with interviews with his friends and family, including his ex-wife Janet and two sons Mark and Eric as well as footage from different stages of his very full life, which was filled with many ups but also many downs.

The documentary is narrated by another famous space pilot: Harrison Ford. However, he acts as a mere messenger for Neil, who acts as the real narrator of his own story. That peculiar decision didn't sit right with me, and I never was able to get used to it.

"Armstrong" remains nevertheless a documentary well worth checking out. It's informative and inspirational at the same time, and certainly a great way to celebrate Neil and his team's achievement.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10