Director: Ridley Scott
Release Date: September 30th, 2015 (UK); October 2nd, 2015 (US)
Genre: Action; Adventure; Science fiction
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara
As Ridley Scott’s fourth headline entry in the science fiction genre, you might pre-emptively think The Martian is one giant leap too many. The film opens with a steady pan across wondrous space, a shot that harkens back to his first offering, Alien. But this isn’t Alien, far from it. Nor is it Blade Runner or Prometheus. The Martian is too busy swimming in the delightful proclivities of space pirates and gaffer tape to concern itself with morose terminators and monstrous creatures. In short, this giant leap is the best one Scott could hope to make at this stage in his career and, indeed, the right one for mankind to feast on.
Drew Goddard recalibrates Andy Weir’s highly regarded novel with impetus, creating a screenplay that sparks with life and manifests on screen in surprisingly slick 140-minute form. It’s about botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who finds himself stranded on Mars after an Ares 3 mission catastrophe (a scene shot with intense furore). Accordingly, we spend a lot of time in the company of a man whose technical wizardry acts as a lifeboat. There is a lot of scientific space lingo and control room hubris, yet a combination of Goddard’s wily script and Damon’s charming performance renders the would-be impersonal exceedingly personal.
Mars’ landscape is incredible — when Watney awakens from his unconscious state and ambles across the rusty sand, you really feel his isolation. The grandeur both intimidates and inspires. His first call of duty is a squirm-worthy medical scene involving pliers and the astronaut’s gaping abdomen. Matt Damon recaptures the tortured spirit unleashed by Noomi Rapace in Prometheus, and the excruciating results would make her proud. His eyes are black and heavy at this point. To fund the sense of total seclusion, we’re stuck with Watney on Mars for a good chunk of the movie (though “stuck” suggests it is time spent against our will, when in fact it is some of the best time I’ve spent at the cinema this year).
The Martian is about a smart person (and later people) doing smart things, and Damon is perfect as the savvy loner. He is brilliant company, erupting with charismatic poise and an everymanness that usurps his specialised occupation. You feel an authentic burst of joy every time he connects the problematic dots via intellect and nous. Cinema will do well to conjure up a more likeable presence before 2015 is out. There’s no volleyball, but for a companion Watney employs a webcam and, like Cillian Murphy’s Capa in Sunshine, our hero speaks to the camera as if conversing with us and not with a machine. Emotions become capital and we absolutely get our money’s worth: whenever Watney wells up our natural instinct suggests we do the same.
The self-proclaimed greatest botanist on the planet often wears a scowl that implies a freak out is imminent, but instead whimsical quips relieve any tension. He has to be sarcastic and jokey in order to survive, and his jokes are unequivocally funny (“It has been seven days since I ran out of ketchup”). David Bowie’s “Starman” tune is part of an expertly employed soundtrack that feeds the genial air surrounding Watney’s shenanigans — potato growing, alphabet reconfiguration, machine hacking, to name but a few.
In any other Ridley Scott sci-fi effort, the titular man-Martian would be cursing God and trembling through his deserted predicament. But not here. Here, the prevailing sentiment is a hearty, somewhat sly, “Fuck you Mars.” Watney throws a plethora of insults at his host — the planet becomes the enemy. It’s man versus wild, and there is an acknowledgement from the filmmaker that threat ought to still linger despite the upbeat atmosphere. Watney, as such, has to contend with peril constantly swirling around him, danger emboldened by the movie’s forthright sound design.
Goddard’s screenplay — which he initially wrote intending to direct — likes to poke fun at PR and at press discourse. The film is barely five minutes old before the digs start: “Mark just discovered dirt — should we alert the media?” (as fate, or otherwise, would have it we got a water-related Mars announcement from NASA just days before the film’s release). While Watney does his best to stay alive, the mission back on Earth is to somehow spin his survival into a non-destructive PR story. Those doing the spinning, somewhat amazingly given the cynical Zeitgeist in which we live, are far from deplorable.
They each have flaws: Jeff Daniels’ NASA chief is a bit impersonal; Sean Bean’s Ares 3 crew supervisor heralds gut reaction over practicality; and even Kristen Wiig’s publicity woman can be on the dismissive side. But they are all amiable people trying to do good. While on Mars it is all about Spielbergian wonderment, quirky humour, and a genuinely winsome crust, the Earth arc mixes a jaunty detective movie with corporate drama. Bureaucracy plays a part — should they or should they not inform the Ares 3 crew that their man is still alive? Those at NASA struggle to keep up with Watney’s ingenious prowess despite their technological advantage, and the film hilariously emphasises this.
The cast is rich in depth but very large, and you worry that some might suffer due to a lack of screen time (a criticism many aimed at Baltasar Kormákur’s Everest). Thankfully, by the end, the vast majority are afforded a moment to shine. It’s great seeing Chiwetel Ejiofor in a breezier role, and he fits the bill as home-based NASA engineer Vincent Kapoor with coolness to spare. Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Michael Peña and the remaining Ares 3 crew members function like a well-oiled team despite their comparatively short-lived screen stint. Mackenzie Davis is very good as the freshman NASA analyst, energising a potentially corny role. Kristen Wiig, too, confidently plays against type.
As the film advances, the Sol counts (the number of days spent on Mars) that are systematically thrown up on screen do lose their clout. It could be argued that the piece unwittingly stumbles into a pacing issue; not that it ever threatens to plod along, but rather that the on screen presentation of advancing time is a tad careless. The longer we go, the less it impacts on us (though admittedly, by the time the grand conclusion gets under way nobody really cares).
It is dramatically better than Apollo 13. Visually, it rides the same rocketship as Gravity — Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography is foolproof. The Martian probably isn’t Ridley Scott’s best sci-fi movie (both Alien and Blade Runner will take some beating), but his love letter to human dexterity, perseverance, and personality is an utter triumph.
Images credit: IMP Awards, Collider
Images copyright (©): 20th Century Fox
Consumed By Film 
“…this giant leap is the best one Scott could hope make at this stage in his career and, indeed, the right one for mankind to feast on”. – I really dug this line, man! Great way to open your review. A great read overall and it makes me all the eager to this. Cheers!
Much appreciated Mark — hope you enjoy this as much as I did. And thanks for alerting me to a missing “to” in that line, haha! Sorted now. 😉
Ha! I didn’t even notice that. I did, however, just notice a missing “more” from my comments… “All the (more) eager…” Haha!
Even the best of us make mistakes, right? Haha!
Only the best! 😉 heehee!
Always great to see a strong addition into the science fiction realm.
Couldn’t agree more Alex, love this genre.
I echo Alex’s sentiment. Wonderful review. “Stuck on Mars”. Can’t say I’ve ever wanted to, but I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks Cindy! Hope you enjoy the film if you get around to seeing it.
Good review. It’s a very fun and energetic movie, but at the dead center of it, still has a heart to work with.
Exactly, which makes it so endearing and palatable. Cheers Dan.
Really well written buddy. Saw this earlier today and loved it. What a great ride!
Thanks mate! Ah that’s great — I always like it when a really good film gets the unanimous praise it deserves.
A fantastic picture man, I think this line sums up the thing I was most impressed by: “. . .we’re stuck with Watney on Mars for a good chunk of the movie (though “stuck” suggests it is time spent against our will, when in fact it is some of the best time I’ve spent at the cinema this year).”
Ditto that! Mark Watney’s attitude makes the movie absolutely hurtle by. This is one of the most optimistic movies I’ve seen in years, what a great one.
Thanks mate! Right? Watney’s optimistic attitude working in tandem with the overarching positivity affords the film real heart and soul. Time exceedingly well spent.
I just finished reading a review of it on Jordan & Eddie and the point Eddie made really took me aback, I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice it before, but this is easily Scott’s most uplifting movie. He typically likes to keep his actors in dark and dramatic roles, and if comedy does arise it’s usually (and quickly) dispensed with in an ensuing crazy scene. The Martian, by comparison, feels like a comedy. It’s a really well-judged movie. And risky at that!
Great point, totally agree. Alien, Blade Runner, and Prometheus are all pretty dark, weighty movies and the characters generally go through the wringer. Watney does go through the wringer here, but it’s under the guise of a brighter, more hopeful tone. I’m really glad Scott has made an uplifting sci-fi movie — now he can’t get tagged with that ‘moody director’ tag.
The extended cast really does a good job of proppping up Matt Damon. In the book it’s all about the martian, but it’s nice to see the movie flesh out some of the earthlings as well.
Great write up mate. I wish I could agree with your sentiments, but great post nonetheless!
Thanks Jordan. Ah that’s a shame!
it was too feel good for me. That and the comic elements of it hit a false note for me. It sure looked amazing though.
I loved the overriding positivity. Maybe that’s because I’m so used to Scott creating sci-fi films that are funded by bleakness! 😉
hehe fair enough! Its definitely one of his better recent efforts
I totally agree with you on this Jordan. It was really entertaining movie, excellent on all counts, but one, I too felt, that the overused comic, feel good elements, made it unrealistic and basically flawed what otherwise could have been a really great, great movie.
yeah if the movie had a dark, gritty edge then it could have been really good
Yes, you are spot on and correct Jordan, thanks. Having worked in the movie distribution business, for around 35 years in South Africa, I think I have watched enough movies to get a feel for this sort of thing. However, film distribution is, is not film production, so I say this, with all respect for the film makers and Director, as to be absolutely objective, I would need to put myself totally in their shoes and be able to do a better job of it, which I obviously could not do. Therefor a thumbs up to them anyway for this entertaining entry.
Interesting points guys. I was completely won over by the film’s decision to be generally upbeat, but I can see where you are coming from.
Perhaps, as it won the Golden Globe in the best comedy/musical category, my opinion may be a bit misguided, if of course the film makers intended it to be a comedy, opposed to dramatic sci-fi, as it was clearly not a musical, (although, I must say, that I really loved the music, but perhaps that is just my age showing again 🙂 ). Anyway Adam, it was a really entertaining movie, whichever way one looks at it and I certainly understand and respect your point of view on being won over by it being generally upbeat, even if I would have preferred it to have had (as Jordan put it), a dark, gritty edge.
I’m feeling more and more alone in my views on this film!! 😦 Great post though, really well written
It’s just one of those things — I’m not a huge fan of The Imitation Game (solid film, good performances, but a bit bland).
I’m with you on that one, that movie didn’t do much for me either
I trust you are not feeling so alone in your views on this anymore Jordan. 🙂 All the best. Cheers, Ivan.
Excellent review! This was definitely worth the watch and a return to form for Scott, but I feel that it was immensely flawed at the best of times, too, and that a wonderful supporting cast was quite wasted. It was visually stunning to look at, and I loved watching Watney on Mars, and I adored his geeky humour.
I actually thought the screenwriters handled such a large cast pretty well, but I can see your point. Watney is the type of guy you’d love to have around on your darkest day — his ironic humour could turn any grey sky blue. Cheers Zoë!