Bring Him Home

Rating: 10/10 (20 February 2016)

"The Martian" has to be the first comedy survival film about a human being stranded on Mars, and I certainly hope it will be the last. Not that the Ridley Scott epic is bad, but, contrarily, it is so good it would effortlessly put to shame any movie that tried to follow in its footsteps. "The Martian" is almost perfect throughout, thanks to flawless performances on (literally) every cylinder, unparalleled directing, and a rhythmic tone that doesn't hit one false note.
Matt Damon carries the movie with charm, wit, and an optimistic sense of humor that assists him in his survival. Jeff Daniels delivers an exceptional performance as NASA director Sanders that has to make the hardest decisions regarding a rescue operation for Mark Wattney (Matt Damon), after his crew, Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), Rick Martinez (Michael Pena), and Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan), leave him alone on Mars after presuming he died in the midst of a storm. Director Sanders announces Wattney's death to the world, while Mark Wattney calmly but urgently attempts to contact NASA to inform them he's still alive. Sanders resists from telling Wattney's crew that he's still alive, knowing that Commander Lewis would blame herself for leaving him on Mars, but using the petty excuse that "they need to focus on their mission."
How Drew Goddard and Andy Weir managed to turn a desperate survival mission into a heartfelt, exciting, just plain fun story puzzles me, but manage they did. What's even more remarkable is the fact that "The Martian" is, well, based on facts, proving to be scientifically sound no matter how unbelievable it is. "The Martian" is a work of art, a rare gem, an original, creative piece that will go down in history and become remembered as one of the best-made cinematic masterpieces ever.
98/100