The Martian : A New Kind of Science Fiction

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2015)

Often you like or dislike movies based on the expectations you set for them. I have never been a fan of Ridley Scott and out of the 11 movies i have seen of his (he has made 23) I only enjoyed American Gangster. No, not a fan of Alien or Blade Runner or the horrendous Gladiator. To me his films are way too melodramatic and often have loose plot devices to set up spectacle scenes / money shots.
So when I decided to catch 'The Martian' on its second day of release, I had two expectations. There is a lot of accurate science in this movie (having read it somewhere) and the chances of me enjoying this were going to be low.
I was right on one count. The film has a lot of seemingly accurate science fiction (if that's not already an oxymoron). As far as Ridley Scott is concerned, this was a pleasant surprise. This is by far his least melodramatic movie I have seen and to me his second best effort to date.
After the poetic assault on our senses by Gravity and Interstellar - only two of the best space movies of all times, the Martian comes as a surprising and refreshing change to spaceman storytelling. It is a matter of fact movie. An astronaut is left behind on Mars. He has to figure out a way to survive and communicate with NASA. The other narrative is at earth where a bunch of interesting NASA characters (played out by an incredible cast) try to understand what can be done.
The focus here is on the story, on the characters. The edge of the seat stuff is there but restricted. To the extent that the stress inducing scenes were when NASA experts discuss whether they should or should not tell the crew that they left one of their own behind on a deserted planet. Hmmm.
As a matter of fact, it is so matter of fact that I was hoping for something to kick up the excitement. But thankfully it didn't. Because like it or not we have had so many edge of the seat implausible thrill rides that for once you need an extraordinary story told in an ordinary way. This does not mean this is a documentary, it has its shares of thrilling moments but they come few and far between. It also has a great OST including an almost full length 'Starman' montage that I would go watch the movie again for.
Overall, it is a welcome change. Everything that happens is for you to see. There are no jump cuts, no music reaching a crescendo and definitely no unnecessary actions by characters that can complicate the proceedings. Matt Damon as the survivalist is perfect for the role. He brings a relaxed demeanor to the screen and a lot more humour than you can imagine. So much so that on the flip side, you don't really feel for him when the sh*t hits the fan (spoiler alert.literally).
Let's face it, he is stranded on Mars and there are 1001 things that could kill him instantly. But Ridley Scott never allows you to feel that dread. This is not that kind of a movie. These are scientists and astronauts and they remain that. Heroism is restricted to floating in space and opening a door because in real life sometimes that is heroism.
What stuck with me though was the film's attitude. A human attitude about survival, about being optimistic because that is the only practical option left. Hell, it's so optimistic that even the Chinese Govt are shown as selfless good guys which may not be a bad idea. Bravo, Hollywood. High time.
In the end, The Martian should not be missed. No it is not as entertaining as Interstellar and it is definitely not as edge of the seat as Gravity and nor does it get into boring existential questions like Solaris. This is a new type of science fiction. For once, it attempts to entertain you by showing smart people doing smarter things. And in today's geeky world it succeeds! Go, watch it. And here's hoping there are more like this in every genre.
KR
PS For Kubrick fan boys: Do enjoy the seemingly endless tributes to 2001 A Space Odyssey (Arguably the best space movie ever) esp. the ping that's heard every time the time line shows up.