How this isn’t a part of the best documentary features this year at The Oscars truly baffles me. Admittedly, I haven’t seen every nomination in that category, mainly because the Oscar Documentary category tends to be a dumping ground for some of the most depressing real-life stories imaginable. Why I love Apollo 11 and why I think it should be in that category is because of the extreme sense of wonder it invokes. The moon landing has always been something in the distant past to me being born 30 years after it. I know in the grand scheme of things this is merely a drop in the bucket, but I’ve always felt kind of disconnected to it. I hate to admit it, but personally I feel more connected to the fictional characters in the Star Wars universe than I do the actual moon landing. Space has always interested me, but I never felt a part of the moon landing in the same way that baby boomers seem to.
Apollo 11 puts you front in center with that feeling. The footage in this film, the narrative structure, the lack of narration makes you feel like you’re experiencing the moon landing as if it’s happening right now in front of you. I was awestruck by the IMAX footage presented here. It is so crisp and orgasmic that it is truly riveting.
I simply haven’t seen a documentary like this in my lifetime, that could make me care about something I never felt attached to in a significant way. It made me care, it made me wonder, it made me nostalgic for a time I wasn't even a part of. It is truly an achievement. What more can I say?
Just see it already. ALRIGHT!?
