The Martian

I’d heard the jokes about “saving Matt Damon” yet again, the jokes alluding to Saving Private Ryan and Courage Under Fire.  So I, with tongue in cheek sat down to watch the movie.

The movie is about a man left for dead on Mars and at first I was struck by the incongruity and immediately laughed.  The incongruity was that he was left behind (the other astronauts having left because of the enormity of the storm about to hit) and yet, this man, laying on the planet through the storm survives it.  This inevitably led you to think, they would have been fine had they stayed. Having said that, I was immediately delightfully captivated by Matt Damon’s superb acting.

I quickly became involved as I watched “Mark Watney” struggle to overcome some pretty major obstacles to survive. Subtle humour continued throughout and the movie was incredibly upbeat even though the underlying determination to survive and the creative means he used to that end was always center stage.  I knew from the moment I began watching, I wouldn’t, couldn’t walk away until the end.

The most touching moments came when he heard his friend’s voices for the first time in years and the moment when his possible rescue was about to take place. Matt Damon’s acting was so real, he drew me in emotionally.

All the while I had to applaud the charachter’s strength determination and belief he would be rescued.  And I wondered . . . how many of us could possibly withstand the absolute isolation and loneliness on a planet years away from humankind.  “Mark Watney” managed, with a few mishaps, to overcome those obstacles in creative ways which included an ingenious method of growing food to provide for himself.

All in all, Matt Damon’s acting was superb, the movie compelling and the photography captured it all.

What did you think of the movie?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,