Man on a Planet
October 6, 2015
The Martian (2015).
D: Ridley Scott. DP: Dariusz Wolski. W: Drew Goddard (Based on Andy Weir’s novel of the same name). Starring: Matt Damon/Jessica Chastain/Chiwetel Ejiofer/Jeff Daniels/Kristen Wiig/Kate Mara/Sebastian Stan/Michael Peña/Aksel Henne/Mackenzie Davis/Donald Glover/Sean Bean.
Ridley Scott’s newest venture has sky rocketed in the box office over the weekend. The Martian will probably put Scott back on the sci-fi map, which is a credit to its source material and its star, Matt Damon. Even at nearly forty-five, Damon’s boyish charm and Jason Bourne determination make him an enjoyable force on screen.
I skipped out on Scott’s directorial effort Exodus: Gods and Kings last year and feel confident in that decision. Yet I did make time to see 2012’s Prometheus and even 2010’s Robin Hood. For me Prometheus was a mixed bag, but the lore of the Alien franchise was not something I was deeply connected to. Here in The Martian Scott is free from any baggage and seems to have a clearer hold on the story he wants to tell.
Based on Andy Weir’s initially self-published novel, The Martian is the story of astronaut and botanist Mark Watney (Damon) who is stranded on Mars following an injury during an emergency planet evacuation with his fellow crew-members. Thought to be dead, the crew starts their return home and he wakes up to the daunting task of feeding himself until the next Mars crew arrives in four years. Back on earth NASA eventually figures out Watney is alive and how to communicate with him and the rescue mission plans begin. The novel is a science heavy survival story with loads of humor that thankfully makes it into the film.
A difficult adaptation, Drew Goddard’s script does well in trying to balance Watney’s computer diary with the real rescue plan at home. Goddard previously adapted World War Z for the screen and co-wrote with Joss Whedon the fabulous Cabin in the Woods. Goddard’s script cannot match the wit of the novel, but that is simply because we cannot have a two hour film of just Damon making jokes. The best stick around, but the conventionality or studio glossing as I see it comes in back on earth, especially in a silly coda ending. The momentum is lost with Dr. Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofer) and a lot of the tension between the higher ups is diluted to humor and actor Sean Bean being able to say the Lord of the Rings joke from the book. Same can be said about the Mars crew, they aren’t given a chance to shine really, acting more as a catalyst for Watney’s escape possibilities.
The Martian however overcomes this with a visual palette that reiterates why mankind is so obsessed with space travel. Mars and Watney’s gadgets are a great backdrop for Damon’s exploration into how to really survive on the planet. Ultimately that is the joy of the film and the book. To see this character really figure out all the technology and science he needs to try to make it home. The Martian will surely continue to do well and makes me hopeful that Scott’s next movie might be even better.
Mr. Pitt’s War Film
November 20, 2014
Fury (2014).
D/W: David Ayer. DP: Roman Vasyanov. Starring: Brad Pitt/Shia LaBeouf/Logan Lerman/Michael Peña/Jon Bernthal/Jason Issacs/Jim Parrack/ Brad William Henke/Xavier Samuel.
The token war film of this award season is of course David Ayer’s Fury. Marketed and sold around lead and producer Brad Pitt, the film centers on a group of American tank soldiers deep into Nazi Germany. Virulent and grim, Fury tackles a character driven story plastered in an epic setting.
The most compelling part of the film is the group’s bravado and bond with each other. Brad Pitt’s Don leads his team with a deft fist and a rigorous voice. Although he has aged, the camera still fetishizes Pitt, even when caked in mud. Pitt and Ayer selected a great team in Michael Peña (2012 End of Watch), Jon Bernthal (AMC’s The Walking Dead), Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman (Noah). Lerman, who broke into the scene in 2012’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the newbie on the team whose fear and denial of his soldier status rings true. The real fascination is LaBeouf’s Boyd/Bible whose acting methods have been publicized and are extreme, but he delivers. Will this resurrect his career and public image? It’s really hard to tell just yet.
Of course, Pitt’s Don is not without his own glamour shot. Excused in the narrative as the reverse shot reveals extensive war wounds, Pitt’s pectorals are on full display, filling the screen. The locus on his body actually detracts from a nuanced scene that eventually recovers, but not without an eye roll or two.
All six, including Fury, of films Ayer has directed deal with extensive and oftentimes traumatic levels of violence. In this WWII context Ayer balances the internal violence between the men, including pent up aggression for the enemy, with strict decimation. His script takes us in and out of the tank enough to illustrate cause and effect without homogenizing his characters. Steven Price’s score is great, but too many musical cues force a hand out to the audience too much. I think tanks rolling over bodies is cue enough.
Ultimately, Fury is a loud, focused war film without any specific historical or locational significance. Yet its objective seems to hammer home the violence of war internally and externally regardless of place and time. But Fury‘s undoing is it’s glorification of Pitt and redeeming or even hopeful ending.