The Martian – survival reaches new limits

A book written by Andy Weir has been transformed into a film directed by Ridley Scott  which covers several levels of survival – the lead character, Mark Watney, for example, being left on Mars when his crew abandon the planet in a spaceship under bad weather conditions, thinking Mark  to be dead.  Mark – played by Matt Damon,  not only survives, but is someone with a speciality in botany and he starts to grow potatoes on Mars using his own excreta as fertiliser – to safeguard his survival.  This,  like some of his other efforts, is subject to trauma, bad weather conditions, explosions and lack of contact with earth.  However, the crew who left him, as well as the rest of the people watching out for him finally hatch a plan to save his life when he gets through to them on Planet Earth. Sean Bean plays one of the advisory panel back in the rocket base who argue as to how to move forward, including advising his crew that they have discovered that he is alive without much of a lifeline out there on Mars many days after they already knew. But you don’t want to just know the story, do you, you want to know how this film engrosses its audience…

Much of the story focusses on the inimitable Matt Damon, playing Martin busy surviving having been left for dead. Matt has played Jason Bourne in a number of films – spawned from the stories of Robert Ludlum.  He is no less able in this film to demonstrate a man who is full of ideas and tactics to keep going and to thrive under the most adverse circumstances imaginable and all credit to him – and in addition, he has hardly aged since the Bourne era, though maybe his facial hair is dyed – or is it naturally “non-grey”? He is in fine and fit condition in this film and in typically US fashion,  music and comedy is brought into play with a number of “cheesy” soundtracks broadcasted as the music his fellow crew left behind, mainly featuring Donna Summer and Abba. David Bowie’s “Starman” is also given a turn which enriches the story considerably.

If you like stories where the film crew has made enormous efforts to entertain their audience with a convincing story – probably using some of the most enhancing desert landscapes and scientific magic in the history of film, you will enjoy this story.  Rocket science is definitely what is contained in this saga, together with brilliant acting for all of the team on board.  Be advised – you need to relax and take in the story bit by difficult bit to get the whole film under your belt.  There is no romance, there is no combat of a physical nature between characters but there is a convincing amount of ins and and outs between high flying space age characters and Sean Bean’s presence in the saga gives it gravitas and compulsion.

Enjoy

Penny Nair Price