[rwp-review id=”0″]
It wasn’t too long back that the world witnessed the glorious envisioning of what it is like to be adrift in space; a true vertigo-inducing, stomach-wrenching, hold-onto-your-seats sort of experience. The movie I’m referring to is ‘Gravity’. Then almost a year later, our hunger for space based films was quenched again with an unforgettable movie filled with equal parts of visual beauty and questionable science – that movie was known as ‘Interstellar’. So, the former dealt with scenario of being lost in space while the former dealt with being lost in time and space, specifically a black hole. So, what about being lost on a planet? That question was artistically answered in the most awe-inspiring way possible; the answer being ‘The Martian.’
Before we jump into a critical evaluation of the movie, let’s remove the synopsis out of the way – the movie tells the harrowing tale of Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who is left for dead on Mars after his crew had to make an emergency take off due to a violent storm putting all their lives at risk. The story focuses on two parts – Mark’s survival on Mars, and the efforts of NASA to save him after they receive a transmission signal stating that he is alive.
The plot is quite straightforward with your customary twists and turns but you see, the movie is not about the plot itself but the way that narrative is presented, and it is presented in the most aesthetic way possible. This film is saturated with great cinematography and even greater special effects, this is especially seen in the scenes that span over the horizon of Mars which in turn rush the viewer with a sense wonderment juxtapose to the poignancy that dawns upon the viewer as they realize that this is the derelict beauty in which the protagonist must survive.
Many of the intended ‘dramatically-intense’ scenes do not fall short of riveting, to my surprise I found out that quite a few of those scenes were shot with a go-pro camera –this is truly a testament to the articulate mind that is Ridley Scott. This movie manages to makes the possibility of dying on another planet seem elegant; visually of course. It’s not just Mars that is presented this way, even the scenes that show the ARES III space shuttle (Mark Watney’s teammates) as it drifts through the void of space, it stirs a sense of placidity which works perfectly in contrast to the situation back on Mars. Basically put, this movie is gorgeous in the simplest ways possible, and I mean that as a good thing.
Acting – a term that this movie personifies tenfold! Every actor and actress, from Matt Damon to Kate Mara fit their roles perfectly, they bring life to their characters through their eloquent dialogues and mannerisms; it is truly hard to imagine anyone else play these roles.
The cast is an all-star team, we see the likes of Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, and much more. The cast bring a level exuberance to each moment the movie – be it in the melodramatic conference room scenes, in which we see some of the characters play on the concept of flimsy morality as they objectively calculate the necessity of bring Watney back to Earth, to the lighter moments that are heavily littered throughout the film; and these lighter moments are an absolute delight to watch! Many films try to take the edge of their serious undertones by adding quips and laughable moments within the dialogues here and there but many of them fall short or feel forced, this isn’t the case with ‘The Martian’.
This movie does a terrific job of does a splendid job of pervading humorous moments throughout the film, and it’s subtle or unexpected enough that it doesn’t take away from the emotional flow that is intended by the film.
Sometimes, the humor actually complements the narrative, this is especially true to the story of Mark Watney as we see him take a light-hearted approach to the reality of his situation – he jokes about the possibility of his demise and he banters with himself as he figures out how to survive the onslaught of Mars. All this gives a refreshing take on how a person can react to the probability of death, and realistically this is very plausible as some viewers may see this as a way of him going through denial, but that’s a debate for another day or another article. This movie at the surface level presents itself as a depiction of a man’s survival but look closer and you will see some strong themes it touches upon; the strongest, in my opinion, being that of moral relativism.
For all the glory that ‘The Martian’ is worth, it isn’t without its foibles but they are very forgettable! The two things that can set the audience off is firstly, Sebastian Stan’s character which felt very dry and ineffectual – it could be either due to a weak point in the script writing or bad acting, that’s for you to figure out. Secondly, it was quite off-putting to see the role of an Indian character being played an African-American (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Don’t get me wrong, his portrayal of character was profound but it feels like another one of Hollywood’s ploys when given the fact that there is a plethora of Indian actors to choose from in Hollywood. Yet again, I emphasize that these faults, in regards to the film, are somewhat forgivable.
‘The Martian’ has all the makings of Oscar-material, and it truly does deserve all the praise it is to receive. One word of advice for those planning to watch the movie – do not go in with the mindset of it being along the lines of ‘Interstellar’, for you will be truly disappointed. This is not to say that ‘Interstellar’ is a better movie, but it is to say that each movie excels in their own right. As ‘Interstellar’ was monumental to the hard sci-fi genre with its focus on the wormholes, singularities, and the concept of time itself, ‘The Martian’ on the other hand focuses on survival; a stranger in a strange land, so to speak, and it executes this in a paramount manner.
This movie is a must see for fans on the sci-fi genre as well as for casual movie-goers – it’s not often we bare witness to a medium that can masterfully render the themes of isolation and fear of the unknown, in such an articulate manner
