The Martian

20th Century Fox

       Matt Damon gets saved a lot, like a lot a lot. On his resume alone are eight films (including this one) where he needs to be from things ranging from space to Nazis. In his second film playing a space adverse astronaut in recent years (“Interstellar”) Damon plays the role of Mark Watney, who is lost on Mars and has to be retrieved by his old crew. Based on the hard sci-fi book of the same name by Andy Weir, “The Martian” looks to a future that NASA purports will exist soon; the agency already offering trips to Mars in the coming years.

            “The Martian” is nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and a slew of technical awards. This is genuinely a big deal for a science fiction film, since they usually get shafted in the big acting award categories. Between this film and “Mad Max: Fury Road” it’s a huge year for genre pictures at the Oscars. When I originally tried to see this film in theaters, back in September, it was always sold out hours ahead of time. People flocked to see this film for its heightened thrill, the hard sci-fi elements, and Matt Damon’s great performance. Of the films up for Best Picture this is one of the few that was not based on a true story, and therefore it pains me to see a mostly white ensemble. There isn’t any reason why there couldn’t have been more diversity in the crew, or even in NASA’s ranks. Chiwetel Ejiofor has the biggest role for a non-white actor, along with Michael Pena who provides comic relief. Though Damon really takes up most of the film, that doesn’t mean there can’t be more diversity in the supporting cast, especially in science fiction, a genre that has innovated before mainstream Hollywood time and again.

20th Century Fox

            My main issue with Damon’s performance (and I know this will be met with skepticism) is that there isn’t a range in emotions until near the very end of the film. Most of the film Watney puts on a false sense of bravado instead of letting himself fall into despair. This is mostly fixed near the end of the film when there is a sense of urgency and danger for Watney, but otherwise he acts like an action hero. Astronauts are made of harder stuff than other people, that’s a plain truth, but in this situation it wouldn’t be uncommon to see anger, fear, or outright discord between reality and the red planet’s eerie atmosphere.

            Otherwise this is a great film, not just a genre film. It features intense action, some light relief comedy, a lot of hard sci-fi backed up by NASA technicians and author Andy Weir, and visually it’s a stunning film. Mars has never looked so realistic, and yet so cool and atmospheric. The action ramps up tension, but the film also explains the technical aspects of Watney’s mission, seen via a video diary Watney keeps through his ordeal. If you’re going to watch this for any reason, let it be that you want to see what the future holds for the fate of man.