This is science fiction for sophisticated audiences

Rating: Null/10 (4 September 2019)

I love scifi and I love sci-fi movies, and I love scifi movies made by Sir Ridley Scott so suffice to say I liked the Martian a lot. This is a Matt Damon show and the actor is pretty much in the frame all through the running time as an astronaut stranded on the red planet. This is neither an action-oriented motion picture nor a special effects extravaganza. It's an introspective story about what it might be like to be the sole inhabitant of a distant world and knowing that instant communication isn't possible, and a rescue is at best a year away. It's also an examination of how necessity truly can be the mother of invention - not only for the survivor but for those on Earth seeking to find a way to save him. Those who crave nonstop action and seizure-promoting editing may find this film's pace too deliberate. They may be unable to appreciate its character focus and slow but undeniable build-up of tension.