The Martian (8/10): Let's talk science!

“I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the greatest botanist on this planet.”

Ridley Scott’s latest film, The Martian, is an intelligently crafted science fiction drama that takes on the form of a problem-solving movie in a very nerdy way. It is not an easy movie to sell considering it is very talkative and there is a lot of science involved, but Drew Goddard’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel is quite captivating. There is no denying that the true star of the film is Matt Damon who basically manages to put on a one-man show in Mars and deliver a very entertaining performance in a similar way to what Tom Hanks did in Castaway. Although this film does give much more screen time to the characters back home as they try to communicate and find a way to bring their astronaut back, but it is Damon who really stands out. The film has been nominated for the Golden Globes for best comedy and although I don’t agree with that designation it is Damon who delivers the comedy through his charismatic performance as he faces each new struggle in quite a light and positive way. The movie is a drama more than anything else and it carefully studies every scenario of what could go wrong in Mars and presents interesting solutions to those problems. Ultimately that is what makes this film stand out from other space films which Ridley himself has directed. This is a different kind of movie, a survival film with brains that respects its audience and doesn’t try to include any fantastical elements for entertainment purposes (not that I have a problem with it since I was a huge fan of Prometheus, but this is a completely different genre).

Matt Damon gets all the credit for his charismatic performance as Mark Watney, the astronaut who is abandoned in Mars after a storm breaks out and his crew is forced to leave him behind, but the supporting cast is quite impressive as well. Jessica Chastain is Melissa Lewis, the astronaut in charge of the mission who has to make the fatal decision. The rest of the crew members are Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), Rick Martinez (Michael Peña), Chis Beck (Sebastian Stan), and Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie). They don’t get much screen time, but they are each given their moment and it is enough to know what motivates their decisions. I would’ve enjoyed to spend more time with these characters considering the cast is wonderful, but Matt Damon doesn’t even give us time to miss them. The focus is on his character and he delivers every line to perfection. We are instantly drawn to his character and we identify with his struggle to survive. Back home at NASA headquarters we are also introduced to several characters who are doing the best they can to bring Mark home. Jeff Daniels is Teddy Sanders, the man responsible for any decision taken as the NASA director, Kristen Wiig is Annie Montrose, the director of Media Relations who is trying to save face in the midst of the situation, Sean Bean is Mitch Henderson, the flight director who is in contact with Watney’s crew as they are returning home, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is Vincent Kapoor, the mission director. It’s surprising how Ridley Scott manages to include all these characters in the film and give them a unique personality as they all join forces to come up with the best solution. Daniels plays a very similar character to who he plays in The Newsroom, but if you only know him from Dumb and Dumber than you are in for a treat.   

When I first heard about this movie I was a bit worried about the effects that recent space films like Interstellar (which also starred Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain), Prometheus (which was directed by Ridley Scott), or Gravity might have on The Martian considering the space theme. To my surprise, the film stands out from the very opening scene as it takes a totally different approach and focuses more on Mark’s survival skills and his wit. He is a very charismatic character who easily pulls you in to his conflict and allows you to participate in the problem-solution process. This isn’t about special effects, it is about intelligent people getting together to come up with a solution.

My Review: 12 Years a Slave (9/10)

"I will not fall into despair till freedom is opportune!"

Steve McQueen is a brilliant filmmaker who makes movies that are sometimes difficult to watch, but at the same time are powerful and engaging. His characters usually are troubled souls who experience some sort of physical, psychological, or emotional torture. They are slaves of their circumstances, and no character literally captures these elements as well as Ejiofor's Solomon Northup as he is chained and sold into slavery. Some people claim that films about slavery and the Holocaust are overdone and exploitive, but I disagree, if made right they can be powerful and sensitive like was the case with 12 Years a Slave. The same people that make these claims are the ones that don't mind going to see five or six superhero or vampire films a year. There are good superhero movies and terrible ones, and it's the same thing with films dealing with these dark historic moments. This film isn't just a movie about slavery, it's a movie focusing on Solomon's story, it's a character study focused on an exceptional man who is determined not to lose hope or fall into despair. I'd even go as far as saying that more than a film about slavery, this is a dramatic and thrilling movie about the lack of human compassion. There are several villains in this film and they aren't only the slave masters, we see several scenes were even slaves turned their backs on each other, and that lack of compassion is what truly captured the essence of this film.

This beautiful screenplay adapted by John Ridley from Solomon Northup's autobiographical book, Twelve Years a Slave, tells the story of Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man and New York citizen who was kidnapped, sold into slavery, and forced to work in several New Orleans plantations during the mid 1800's. This is where Solomon's fight for survival begins as he is determined to regain his freedom and return to his wife, Anne (Kelsey Scott) and two children. Once Solomon is sent to New Orleans he is sold by Freeman (Paul Giamatti) to a wealthy slave owner named Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch). Ford is a kind Christian, but ultimately he really wants to look out for himself and when Solomon has trouble with one of the overseers, Tibeats (Paul Dano), he sells him to a ruthless slave owner named Epps (Michael Fassbender). This is where Solomon's soul is really put to the test as Epps cruelty is unbearable. However, Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) suffers the most from her Master's cruelty as she is raped and despised by Epp's Mistress (Sarah Paulson). We follow Solomon through these tormented 12 years as he experiences all sorts of horrors until he finally finds a compassionate heart.

This superb film benefits from a powerful lead performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor who deserves all the awards he's been receiving. His facial expressions and agony transcend the screen and break our hearts. The same could be said from the supporting performances from Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays the more complex character and probably the only one that isn't either white or black morally), and Michael Fassbender who is the personification of cruelty. Fassbender, who was also brilliant in McQueen's two previous films, plays one of the most despicable characters in recent film history. McQueen's direction is outstanding and several of his scenes were beautifully shot while at the same time very disturbing. His trademark long takes stand out in this film. The whipping scene is horrifying and the long shot where he is tortured and left hanging while we see everyone else going on with their normal lives is a testament of the central theme of this film which had to do with the lack of human compassion and mercy. This is one of the best films of the year and completely deserves all the hype it's been receiving.

My Review: Serenity (6/10)

"I'm going to grant your greatest wish. I'm gonna show you a world without sin."

Serenity was Joss Whedon's first feature film after experiencing a series of success as a writer and a TV director. Whedon's recent success with The Avengers made me want to go back and watch his earlier work which has a pretty solid fanbase. It has become somewhat of a cult film and it is an adaptation of Whedon's TV series Firefly which was only aired for one season despite having a decent amount of followers. The events in Serenity take place six months after the last episode of Firefly and shares the same cast as well. I never watched an episode of Firefly but had no trouble understanding the plot of this sci-fi film, but I would guess fans of the series will take greater pleasure in this movie. It is pretty easy to follow and despite a very slow beginning the film does pick up and has a very climatic ending. I thought the film was ok, the characters were pretty funny, but I didn't really find anything that stood out in order for me to consider this a classic. It was a decent sci-fi film, but I didn't find anything special about it beside the great sense of humor it has about itself. The characters are pretty strong and well developed, but the effects are pretty weak. I enjoyed this film, but it didn't blow my mind. Whedon also does a pretty decent job with the narrative of the film and wrote a solid and imaginative screenplay.

Serenity takes place in the future, in the 26th century, after humans had to abandon Earth due to overpopulation and they discovered new galaxies where they were able to establish themselves. After a civil war between the Alliance and the rebels known as Independents, the Alliance came out victorious and colonized the entire galaxy. The surviving rebels continue to drift across the galaxy, and among them is the crew of Serenity. Their captain is Mal (Nathan Fillon) who fought for the rebels during the civil war. His first mate who also fought with him in the war is Zoe (Gena Torres), who happens to be married to the pilot, Wash (Alan Tudyk). Among the rest of the crew there is the mechanic, Kaylee (Jewel Staite) and the gunman, Jayne (Adam Baldwin). The crew wonder the galaxy trying to survive by doing jobs (including some illegal and criminal activities) or taking along passengers. One of the recent passengers they pick up are Simon (Sean Maher) and his sister River (Summer Glau). They soon find out that River has special psychic abilities and that she is being hunted down by the Alliance and one of their trackers (Chiwetel Ejiofor) thus putting in jeopardy the entire crew, and so the action begins.

Nathan Fillion is a pretty strong lead and he gives a very charismatic performance. He is better known now as the lead in the TV series, Castle, but fans of Firefly and Serenity will forever remember him as the tough captain with a clever mouth. The rest of the cast is pretty strong thanks in most part to the inventive screenplay by Whedon. He is a great screenwriter and is known for creating some interesting narratives and memorable characters. The action in the second half of the film is pretty strong as well but it really took a long time to get going. Summer Glau has some pretty interesting action sequences, but the highlight of the film is the face off between the tracker and Mal. This sci-fi film mixes some western elements to it as well. Despite all this Serenity wasn't quite the classic I was expecting, but I still had a good time. Whedon's The Avengers is a much stronger film and you can tell how much he has matured as a director.