Saving Mark Watney

Rating: 10/10 (6 October 2015)

For all the hype about CGI, and such things as "Real" 3-D, or IMAX 3-D, the fact is that Hollywood is throwing in a lot of ultra-expensive special effects and gimmicks to lure patrons into theaters as incentives to watch movies costing anywhere from $150 million to $200 million that are so much about the sonic and visual experience exclusively, and so precious little about the art form of the motion picture itself—primarily comic-book spectacles, and ultra-violent action. But there are still directors who like to do things differently. One of them is British director Ridley Scott. Known for such masterworks as ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, GLADIATOR, and, in 2012, the Alien-influenced sci-fi/horror epic PROMETHEUS, Scott returned to the science fiction genre in 2015 with a film that is full of eye-popping visuals and sonic experiences, but rooted in realism. That film was THE MARTIAN.
Based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, this film, which is a far-into-the-future science fiction opus in the manner of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (one of the films that Scott always considered a touchstone film), focuses on a manned expedition on the surface of Mars that goes horribly wrong for those involved when a severe Martian sandstorm envelops them. In a panic to leave, they unwittingly one of their own, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) behind on the Martian surface. The crew (led by Jessica Chastain) believe him to be dead, as does practically everyone at NASA, including its chairman (Jeff Daniels); but in fact, he is managing to survive on his expertise as a botanist and grow his own potatoes inside the sealed space lab on the surface of a planet where nothing can really grow naturally. Chastain and her crew only find out about this just as their spacecraft is making it home to Earth; and Daniels, a mission specialist (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and a British technician (Sean Bean) have to fast design a new mission for Chastain, Michael Pena, and their compatriots to quickly swing back to Mars for an incredibly dangerous rescue mission. Damon's knowledge of botany, and his somewhat caustic wit, are what manage to keep him reasonably sane through all of the difficulties; but at some point, luck will run out on him.
As the bar for realism in terms of space flight and space exploration had been set by "2001", where both director Stanley Kubrick and legendary writer Arthur C. Clarke were in close contact with NASA, and was extended with films like that film's 1984 sequel "2010", 1995's APOLLO 13, 2013's GRAVITY, and 2014's INTERSTELLAR, Scott found it worth his while to follow in their footsteps when it came to The Martian. And although some slight inaccuracies were inevitable (Hollywood has a tendency to exaggerate reality for visual spectacle), in general, Scott shows an otherwise extremely high accuracy and attention to detail as Kubrick, one of his personal favorites and mentors, had done for his 1968 sci-fi masterpiece. And as with all good serious science fiction films, from "2001" onwards, the technology doesn't overshadow the characters or the plot; it is all in service of the story, as opposed to the other way around. Damon, of course, in his own sardonic way, is really good in his own sardonic way, as is Chastain (who was in INTERSTELLAR), Ejiofor, Daniels, and Pena. The score by Harry Gregson-Williams, who did the score for GLADIATOR, has an appropriate amount of futurism to it, as well as some moments of pure classical music and modern minimalism, to give the appropriate amount of tension (as well as lighter moments that use 1970s disco music, including Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn The Beat Around", Abba's "Waterloo", and the O'Jays' "Love Train").
The vastness of the cosmos, as well as the red deserts and mountains that constitute the surface of Mars itself, are all vividly rendered by Scott, cinematographer Darius Wolski, and the visual effects team assembled for the project. With its combination of visual accuracy and stellar acting, THE MARTIAN joins GRAVITY and INTERSTELLAR as a pre-eminent example of how great science fiction movies can still be made at a time when Hollywood has eschewed visual spectacle for visual reality, and sonic assaults for story immersion. Scott is one of those veteran directors who has shown that it need not be any other way.