Review of The Martian (2015) by Russell G — 30 Jul 2016

During a space exploration to Mars, a powerful storm forces the crew of astronauts to evacuate early. In their rush to leave, they lose track one of their crew members; they believe him to be dead. Against the odds, he lives, but he now finds himself alone stranded on the red planet.

He knows it will take at least four years for a rescue mission to reach him, and that he has limited air and food supply. It inspires and thrills with a realistic feel, but at its core, it is extremely personal.

Matt Damon is excellent. For much of the movie, he is alone talking to into the camera, speaking to himself while working, or using only physical expressions to covey his thoughts and feelings. The character does not wallow in self-pity.

He knows he must channel his energy into surviving; that gives the movie a more optimistic perspective. The movie celebrates his triumphs, shows his sarcasm and humor that keep him going. There are still moments of sadness, fear, and defeat, but the main character is admiringly resilient.

Damon conveys this range very well, and director Ridley Scott captures it all perfectly. The stark but beautiful rendering of the Martian landscape is powerful. It expresses the still loneliness and insignificance that the main character is feeling.

While Matt Damon is superb, there is a strong supporting cast too. Characters on earth argue and debate how to handle the situation. This advances the plot and creates an interesting the subplot where the entire NASA organization works together to rescue their man.

The events on earth also give important tonal breaks from the stillness of the Mars setting and make the move more exciting. There is part of you that knows things will work out, but this movie is more about how the lone astronaut survives and how some of the smartest people on earth plan the rescue mission.

How they accomplish the impossible is completely fascinating in itself. Everything works exquisitely here with the story, characters, acting, direction, use of music, and visuals. Despite the grounded premise, this will go down as a classic science fiction movie.