Matt Damon
Jessica Chastain
reviewed by Tom-Tom
I had had it with Ridley Scott. Despite the beautiful production value of his films, something about the direction of his recent films disappointed me. A feeling of greatness thrown away for a cheap twist or beating a dead horse for an obscene length of time. I approached The Martian with a wary countenance. I am happy to say, it is a great success almost making me forgive him for wasted chance that was Prometheus and the boring mess that was Kingdom of Heaven. How should I describe it? Is it a mix of Gravity and Dallas Buyer’s Club in the respect that the protagonist is not on the Earth, in immediate danger, but is affable about his chances for survival. It is also a bit like 127 Hours in that Matt Damon, in his intelligent quest for survival is every bit as charming as Matthew McConaughey and James Franco were in their respective films of overcoming seemingly impossible odds with tenacity, intelligence, and sheer will power.
It is also like Apollo 13 with astronauts on Earth devising virtual scenarios and calculations which are so intellectually satisfying to see on film. Mars is so beautifully recreated that it is a joy to just sit back and watch the fiery red landscapes. The plot isn’t all that different from Brian De Palma’s Mission to Mars from the 1990’s, except for where Don Cheadle’s brilliant plan of survival was there a mere side note where, it is the main dish.
hallthorn reviews 