The Martian

seen 11 October 2015

This film, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, is based on a novel by Andy Weir.

Mark Watney, a scientist on Mars with four team-mates, is injured in a sandstorm which is so severe that the mission is abandoned; the others, convinced he is dead, leave him behind. The film shows how he survives his initial injury and takes steps to stay alive as long as possible in the hopes that a rescue mission will reach him in time. Due to the planetary alignment cycle, this could be a matter of waiting for four years, although an alternative is proposed by a geeky astrophysicist.

Luckily Mark is a botanist, as he remarks engagingly on the videolog that he confides in periodically throughout the film. He decides to plant potatoes, which must be nourished by the human waste already collected in sealed packages. He manages to increase the production of water after a risky first try at igniting hydrogen. In short, his inventiveness and determination are not in doubt, and Matt Damon carries the scenes with low-key charm. His occasional outbursts of frustration are all the more believable because of his general air of competence and optimism.

Meanwhile, NASA has held a funeral for Watney before realising that he has survived, and then must manage both the rescue mission and the media coverage of their efforts. In a further strand, the original crew are eventually told that Mark is still alive; the scene is set for an heroic rescue.

All this is handled with aplomb by Ridley Scott. the effects shots on 'Mars' are thrillingly done (despite the awkward fact that a sandstorm of sufficient intensity is allegedly impossible); the space shots are excellent; the human drama convincingly portrayed by an excellent supporting cast without too much melodrama, even though many of the plot twists are entirely predictable.

All in all, good mainstream science-fiction entertainment.