Director: Ridley Scott
By Alex Watson
As it stands The Martian might just be Ridley Scott's most exciting and enjoyable movie of the 21st century. This tale of an astronaut defying the odds to survive on a planet not known for accommodating human is a riveting experience. After some awkward earlier efforts such as Prometheus and The Counselor, Scott shows that he definitely still one of the top directors around. The winning ingredient to this whole mix though is the cracking script by Drew Goddard which successfully meshes a wicked sense of humor a gradually increasing panic.
Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is an astronaut stranded on Mars after being assumed dead when he disappeared during a colossal storm. Knowing that a rescue mission is years away, he must use every bit of intellect he can muster and attempt to survive. Back home NASA and its director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) face a logistical nightmare. How do you bring back a man from such a far distance without a heavy risk? While Watney begins his impossible scenario, his crew led by Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) are still plagued by guilt leaving him behind.
Almost borrowing moments from Duncan Jones' excellent film Moon, The Martian is mainly our lead character having solo conversations. Watney is a likable and mesmeric lead who even in the face of insurmountable odds is still able to crack a smile while he "sciences the shit" out of this planet. When left for dead when a deathly storm hits, instead of just giving up he miraculously discover he can survive by growing potatoes by using the body waste of his abandoned crew. Against the beautiful and enticing red dust of mars, Watney is able to capture our sympathies, fears and hopes during his diary entries. All the while mocking the disco music collection left by Lewis.
Back on earth is where the real panic sets in and as Sanders debates with Mars Director Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) on the pros and cons are attempting a rescue. This segment is where Goddard's script really shines and despite being very technically heavy there is a fun and exciting against the clock feel. For each bit of progress, there is always a major downfall waiting round the corner (note: always do inspection tests for probe flights). Although Hermes director Mitch (Sean Bean) passionately and vehemently argues for his crew, you get the sense that NASA is more concerned about the PR risk about a failed rescue than the cost of the actual mission.
When The Martian moves into the closing stages, it provides a adrenaline injection that has been sorely lacking in Scott's recent efforts. Figuring out the precise way to make sure that Watney is not missed by his crew members may be like having a maths and physics lesson crammed into one but it is also damn entertaining. Fatigued by years spent on Mars, we can feel the fierce desire by this man to just get home. Although we hold out hope things will ok, there is still the small factor of the lives of his crew mates? If even one minor thing goes wrong it could mean that six lives not one perish in the depths of space.
Matt Damon has proven the perfect choice to handle this star vehicle almost unaided and he gives a masterclass in holding on. Watney unlike his other crew mates is a trained botanist and is able to use brains that no one back in Houston is able to use. Damon shows that he is worthy of a nomination come Oscar time. Jessica Chastain is also excellent in her reduced role and gives an excellent demonstration of repressed grief. Lewis is firm but fair leader but not one who believes in going by the book. Jeff Daniels shows just why he is one of the more reliable actors around with a fine turn as conflicted NASA director Teddy Sanders.
The Martian might be a long and at times might feel like your head has taken a panel beating. For pure thrills and great story this is one of the best experiences you will have in 2015. For anyone attempting space travel in future this is a survival guide to pay attention to.
No comments:
Post a Comment