Fave films of the century so far - 2015 - The Martian

Sometimes you just gotta love a crowd pleaser. A big flashy bonanza fuelled by star power and a budget that would sink a small country. Most of them are silly nonsense that insult an audience's intelligence but every now and then we get something like The Martian. An epic that's nourishes the eyes and the soul.

Mark Watney's trapped on Mars. Him and his crew were taking samples on the surface when a massive storm hit and he was assumed dead. To protect the rest of the crew Commander Lewis (Jessica Chastain) gave the order to take off but little did they know he was still breathing. The quickest another mission will arrive is in 4 years time so he's got to use his ingenuity to make his meagre rations last that long and try not let loneliness destroy him.

It sounds a bit dull and it's anything but. It's actually a joy to watch. Funny, intelligent, thrilling, clever, upsetting and all carried along by a barnstormer of a performance from Matt Damon. The film does skip back between Earth and the remaining mission astronauts quite a bit but this one is Damon's baby and he keeps you glued to the screen throughout. His likability turns what could be a smug, one note role into something special. And it's that likability that heaps tension on you while you watch. You're terrified for Mark throughout and by the end you're biting the knuckles off yourself.

Luckily he's well able to look after himself as proven below.

 

A lovely couple of minutes. How many other blockbusters would show us how to grow spuds in space. There's toilet humour in here worthy of the Farrelly brothers, add in a bit of science to make water & oxygen and some old fashioned elbow grease and Mark has enough food to last him until he's rescued. Or does he?

Red planet shenanigans aside there's a lot of fun to be had back on Earth too. A superb cast comes together to build a plan to bring Mark home. The Earth's superpowers do the same. China and the US working side by side. Everyone on the planet watching the news every day hoping and praying for a happy ending for the most remote human being ever. Everyone connecting for a common cause. It's the kind of film that would give you a little hope for the future of the planet and it's why it's my favourite film of 2015.

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