The
Martian is so exciting, the 2 ½ hours fly by as the viewer is transfixed on
the screen, first watching Mark Watney (Damon) using his considerable skills to
survive all alone on Mars by producing water, setting up a farm for food, and
making electronic equipment work for him; and second, watching as NASA and
other scientists and the crew on a returning spaceship, the Hermes, make difficult
decisions and work together to try to bring the abandoned astronaut home.
Grade: A By
Donna R. Copeland
The crew of Hermes, led by Commander Lewis
(Chastain) are busily collecting data on Mars when a fierce storm comes and
blows Watney away. Lewis risks her
life in going out to try to find him, but can’t, and logically concludes he is
dead. In order to survive, the
team needs to leave and head back to earth and they blast off. However, Watney is not dead, and when
he regains consciousness, he has a major wound he must treat and finds that he
is on his own. Oh, f---!
For a good part of the film after that, we
observe this very proud botanist problem-solving ways to get food and water,
get battery power for the Rover, and attempt to reconnect communication lines
with NASA. Then we get good
glimpses into organizational politics and see hypotheses formed, and policies
made with insufficient information.
When astute observers see evidence that Mark is indeed alive, agreements
have to be made about what to do with the situation and how wide the net of
information to others should be spread, including the returning spaceship
crew. There are major setbacks
along the way, and finally, the U.S. must rely on a foreign power for
assistance.
I understand that the book on which the film is
based is laden with technical information difficult for the average reader to
wade through, so director Ridley Scott and writer Drew Goddard are to be
congratulated on making the film just technical enough to heighten the drama of
the plot. Damon fits the role
perfectly, with its blend of male-type analyses, wry humor, and drive for
adventure. He is the only one on
screen for a significant amount of time and is entirely watchable
throughout. He deserves
nominations at awards time.
The supporting cast members hold their own as
well. Jessica Chastain gives a
solid performance as a female commander, Jeff Daniels as the bad-guy
administrative head of NASA, Chiwetel Ejiofor as a scientist willing to take
risks, Sean Bean as an advocate for major players lower on the hierarchy, Kate
Mara as an astronaut with electronic know-how, and Michael Pena as an astronautic
navigator and friendly competitor with Mark. Kristen Wiig steps out of her usual comedy routine to be an
able assistant to the head of NASA, Teddy Sanders. Donald Glover is a stand out as Rich Purnell, a nerdy
astrophysicist who stumbles out of bed after a late night of work and steps up
with plans for rescue that make the higher-ups take notice.
Throughout, we get glimpses of the players’
personal lives, but the most entertaining and valuable aspects of the film have
to be the ingenuity involved in survival and the ethical-moral-practical
decisions that people in charge must make on an everyday basis and at critical
times. The point is well made that
these are gut-wrenching decisions and that the best ones are those made by all
involved, not just the people at the top.
An exciting, nerve-wracking,
informative picture about what it takes to be a successful astronaut.
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