‘Matt Damon of Mars’ is a beautiful triumph.
Survival movies are films that center on a character trapped in an isolated area, and must use their wit and instinct in order to endure. We’ve seen characters survive on islands, in space, and now, on a uninhabitable planet. The Martian is a science fiction survival film rooted in reality, and it is Ridley Scott’s best film in years.
The Martian, adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, stars Matt Damon as astronaut/botanist Mark Watney, who is presumed dead after being hit by storm while on a manned mission to Mars. Although his crew is forced to leave him, Watney survives, and now must use what limited resources remain to make contact with earth, and hopefully return home.
By far, the greatest strength of The Martian is Damon’s performance. Watney is admirably optimistic and motivated despite his predicament, all thanks to Damon’s sincere and perceptive acting. When Watney says, “I’m not going to die here,” you believe him.
While incredibly positive even with the odds against him, Watney never comes across as cartoonishly cheery or hopeful; he is still a human despite being on an alien planet. He often has fits of anger and frustration, shown through his affinity to the f-bomb. Watney’s humanity further helps the audience connect to this character and understand the struggle he must endure. Although the film’s premise, and occasionally the science, may seem farfetched, it never feels that way, because Watney’s awesome character grounds the movie in reality.
What is also notable about Watney is his motivation. With survival story such as this, often we see the lone protagonist motivated to return home by another character or force they have left behind. Think Tom Hanks in Cast Away, or Sandra Bullock in Gravity. However, much to my surprise, this isn’t the case for Watney. He doesn’t have a wife and newborn baby, or a fiancé he worries will move on. His motivation stems solely from his ambition to survive. This isn’t to say Watney is selfish or truly alone, we see that he deeply cares for his crew, and understands that they had to leave him. His strength purely derives from his endurance and determination to return home. This is not only very refreshing, but also very powerful.
Besides Damon, the film’s extensive, and star-studded, supporting cast all give strong performances. This can be attributed to Drew Goddard’s tight, and surprisingly funny, script, which manages to balance and give depth to numerous characters. Standouts include Jessica Chastain as Watney’s commander, and Donald Glover, in an eccentric, yet very brief, role.
The film itself is gorgeous. Never do you see the vast red abyss of Mars as just deserts in Jordan, where the film was shot. The exemplary cinematography transforms sets, soundstages, and real locations into the Red Planet. The visual effects are also noteworthy, as they are never intrusive or uncanny, and easily some of the best work since Interstellar. Credit needs to go to Ridley Scott, who clearly knows what he is doing when it comes to science fiction. His direction unifies the many different cinematic elements of The Martian into a smart package, and very well made film.
There are a few minor problems that keep The Martian from truly excelling. Occasionally, clichés and familiar storytelling tropes disrupt the flow of the movie. The most glaring example of this occurs during the second act of the film, where a character on earth makes a proclamation along the lines of, “Watney will be fine, as long as nothing bad happens to him;” and sure enough, in the following scene, something bad happens. As Watney struggled during that scene I could help but to still roll my eyes at that clunky bit of dialogue that tempered the momentum of the film. Lines like that feel like forced insertions by the film’s distributor to prepare audiences for something that may upset them, and they damage the natural progression of the story. It felt intrusive and unnecessary, and luckily there aren’t many other tropes of this nature in the film.
Also a minor issue is a 20-minute sequence occurring later in the film where Watney doesn’t appear at all. All the action and conflict is grounded to earth between NASA its subsidiaries as they try to craft a new rescue mission to save Watney. While a fine sequence on its own, it’s unfortunate that a least one scene of Watney couldn’t have been integrated, as the longer the protagonist is off-screen, the longer the film’s duration feels, and again, pacing is disrupted.
There have been many survival movies, but few have captured the pure essence of human endurance as The Martian does. Despite minor problems, the film excels as both a creative and technical work of art. Damon triumphs through Watney in a film that exemplifies the triumph of the human spirit. The Martian is a survival film, and it is also one of the year’s best.
