Film No. 69 (2015) The Martian. September 24th.

Film No. 69 (2015) September 24th.  6.30 PM GREATER UNION Innaloo

"No matter what happens, tell the world, tell my family that I never stopped fighting". (At a crucial stage in Mark Watney's plight he gives NASA some important instructions).

 

 

Ridley Scott brings us, on average, a film every two years. I'm talking about Ridley Scott the director. While Thelma and Louise is probably my favourite, he does do Sci Fi really well (Blade Runner) and he does not let us down with The Martian.   The issue is, you may need to see it a second time  if you are not a scientist to get your head around all the technology.

We meet Mark Watney (Matt Damon) on a working day as he carries out his duties, in full space suit on Mars. Watney and his five  colleagues have to counter the sudden onset of a ferocious storm. In retreating to the capsule for an immediate exit from the surface of Mars, Watney is struck by flying debris. Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and her colleagues are convinced Watney is dead (and I for one was surprised he lived considering how forcefully he was struck) so they blast off leaving Watney behind. No spoilers here, the trailer tells us as much.

 

So, for the next 140 minutes, we sit back with our 3D glasses on and luxuriate in Watney's ingenuity and NASA's politics (and ingenuity) to see how they get our space hero home. Simple really. Well not really. While the narrative, as I have described is simple, the science is not. We are warned however. Watney, very early on in his predicament utters the line "let's science the shit out of this thing" and so he and his colleagues do. It is thus science and film making cliche we witness in the plight to bring Watney home.

 

The Martian is okay. I admire the experimental techniques used to tell its story. Well researched science to help tell a story as far fetched as The Martian is risky but I'm told the basics are on the money. Damon is good, mixing the macho with good humour. The rest of the characters give us little. Daniels as Teddy Sanders comes from his Newsroom persona and Wiig's Montrose could have been played by a much cheaper actor. Anyway true to Watney's words, this film certainly SCIENCED the shit out of me. 8GUMS.