Ridley Scott – Page 5 – We Are Movie Geeks

First Look At BLADE RUNNER 2049 Features Ryan Gosling And Harrison Ford

Here’s your first look at Warner Bros. Pictures highly anticipated BLADE RUNNER 2049 from director Denis Villeneuve.

The film, executive produced by Ridley Scott, is set to be released in IMAX and select theaters October 6, 2017.

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

BLADE RUNNER 2049 also stars Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, with Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.

The film is based on characters from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, Story by Hampton Fancher, Screenplay by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green.

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2049 is just one year away.#BladeRunner 2049 – in theaters October 6, 2017. pic.twitter.com/DDJ752HXvd

— #BladeRunner 2049 (@bladerunner) October 6, 2016

MORGAN – Review

Many storytellers have used science fiction to question human existence. Even if you haven’t read Mary Shelley’s iconic novel, you know the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his creation. You know of a scientist – I’ll leave calling him “mad” up to you – and his search to understand life and in doing so how he magically creates new life. You know of a tragic creature who is thrust into a world that is both fascinated and yet repelled by it. Though many would call the Frankenstein creature a him instead of an it, Kate Mara’s character Lee Weathers would be quick to correct you. Apparently artificial life should not be given proper pronouns, and while Luke Scott’s feature film debut seems ready to address the contemporary concerns over gender labels and life existing outside male and female labels, MORGAN regresses into yet another forgettable attempt at breathing life into the Frankenstein mythos, failing to spark new ideas in a story you have heard before.

Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) is assigned to examine the collateral damage of a violent attack that occurred in her company’s research laboratory and gauge the risk of a future incident. When she arrives, she is met with apprehension from those that have been raising Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy from this year’s THE WITCH). Morgan is said to be only 5 years old, but has evolved quickly enough to have the appearance of an 18 year old but with the mental powers of something far beyond human ability. Things go even more awry when Lee and a psychiatrist begin questioning the motives and actions of this advanced creature. Can she… it be trusted?

Right from the opening shot where a surveillance camera from high above the action shows a meeting between Morgan and a scientist played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, there is instantly a sense of cold distance placed between the film and the audience. This sense of detachment continues throughout the duration of the film – and not just because of the blue and grey color scheme of the film – despite attempts to get to know the people in the lab. Luke Scott (Ridley Scott’s son) has gathered a talented cast even if they aren’t given much material. And how could they. With such a brief running time that is mainly spent showing the creature striking back at its creators, there isn’t time to connect with the characters as much as we probably should. Paul Giamatti, in a sequence that shows him playing an overly antagonizing psychiatrist, is the only one that makes the most of what little screen time he is given.

Located behind a musty Victorian home, the lab where most of the action takes place is all too familiar looking, but when juxtaposed with this old house in the middle of a field, it enhances the dichotomy that Luke Scott occasionally plays with. You have the clear divide between subject and scientists with the glass wall separating them; the interview and interviewee during a central scene in the film; even the focus that is put on the romantic entanglements of the scientists. However, these binary male and female lines are intentionally blurred when looking at Morgan, dressed in a nondescript grey hoodie shrouding her makeup-less features. The character of Lee furthers this with her own androgynous haircut, demeanor, and buttoned-up suits. She exemplifies zero signs of the tradition idea of femininity. Both characters even bear names that could be either male or female. Elements such as these where you see Scott making purposeful decisions to start an interesting dialogue are wasted by adhering to the typical Hollywood model of how these stories should be told. B-movie blood and theatrics are the eventual focus instead of subverting what audiences are already expecting.

Given the lo-fi, futuristic, dream-like quality of Luke Scott’s previous short film LOOM, it’s puzzling that he would settle on Seth W. Owen’s pedestrian script for his feature debut. Although a film is assembled by incorporating many parts, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts. In fact, MORGAN is more or less cobbled together with ideas that we have seen in far more memorable films, such as last year’s EX MACHINA and the under-seen SPLICE, to name a few. Dull, stale, and lifeless aren’t what you want from the first feature that you create; especially when there was potential trying to grow in some of its parts.

Overall rating: 2 out of 5

MORGAN opens in theaters on September 2, 2016

THELMA & LOUISE Ride Back into Cinemas August 21st and 24th

“You’ve always been crazy, this is just the first chance you’ve had to express yourself.”

Twenty-five years ago, in one of the greatest road movies of all time, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon rode to everlasting fame as two women who embark on a crime spree across the American southwest in THELMA & LOUISE – and on Aug. 21 and 24, they’re journeying back to more than 500 movie theaters across the country.

For two days only at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time, audiences can take the wild ride with Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) all over again in a special THELMA & LOUISE 25th Anniversary celebration, presented by Fathom Events, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Park Circus. This special two-day-only event also includes an exclusive all-new introduction from movie critic Ben Lyons.

Tickets for the THELMA & LOUISE 25th Anniversary can be purchased online beginning Friday (July 22) by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy this eventin more than 500 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website. (Note that theaters and participants are subject to change.)

Directed by action master Ridley Scott (The Martian, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator) from an Oscar-winning screenplay by Callie Khouri, THELMA & LOUISE is an exhilarating, full-throttle adventure hailed as one of the best road movies of all time. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis star as accidental outlaws on a desperate flight across the Southwest after a tragic incident at a roadside bar. With a determined detective (Harvey Keitel) on their trail, a sweet-talking hitchhiker (Brad Pitt) in their path and a string of crimes in their wake, their journey alternates between hilarious, high-speed thrill ride and empowering personal odyssey … even as the law closes in.

“There’s never been an on-screen pair quite like Thelma and Louise, and there’s never been a movie as fearless, exciting and provocative. Thelma & Louise is as stunning, powerful and downright entertaining as it was when it was released 25 years ago,” Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations Tom Lucas said.

Originally released on May 24, 1991, THELMA & LOUISE received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director (Ridley Scott); Best Actress in a Leading Role for both Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis; Best Cinematography (Adrian Biddle); and Best Editing (Thom Noble), with Callie Khouri winning an Oscar for her memorable screenplay.

Movie fans also have the chance to win the Ultimate Road Trip adventure by posting a selfie with THELMA & LOUISE using the hashtag #ThelmaAndLouise25. Visit the THELMA & LOUISE “selfie-standee” in select movie theaters, and read the full contest details at FathomEvents.com/event/thelma-and-louise/more-info/sweepstakes.

Here are 25 facts for 25 years of THELMA AND LOUISE

1.     Oscar-winning screenwriter Callie Khouri says the story came to her “in a flash” and she saw that, “through a series of accidents, they would go from being invisible to being too big for their world to contain”

2.     Thelma & Louise was Callie Khouri’s first produced screenplay

3.     George Clooney auditioned for the role of J.D. five times

4.     Brad Pitt had unsuccessfully auditioned for Backdraft before Ridley Scott saw him audition for J.D.

5.     Brad Pitt said he first became familiar with Ridley Scott when he was 15 years old and snuck in to a movie theater to see Alien

6.     Geena Davis says that she had her agent call Ridley Scott every week for a year before he agreed to consider her for one of the leading roles

7.     Initially, Geena Davis wanted to play the role of Louise, and had prepared for it – but in their first meeting with Susan Sarandon, both Davis and Ridley Scott say they knew she was Louise

8.     Thelma & Louise takes place on the road from Arkansas to the Grand Canyon – but was filmed entirely in California and Utah

9.     The “Grand Canyon” in the movie is actually Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah

10. The Oklahoma City motel where Thelma and Louise encounter J.D. still stands – in downtown Los Angeles: It’s the Vagabond Inn at 3101 S. Figueroa St.

11. Five identical 1966 Thunderbirds were used in production

12. Ridley Scott says the visual style of the film was strongly influenced by the still-life paintings of John Register

13. Thelma Dickerson’s birthday is November 27, 1956 – while screenwriter Callie Khouri’s real birthdate is November 27, 1957

14. Charlie Sexton performs two songs in the film, “Tennessee Plates” and “Badlands,” and has a cameo as the lead singer in the band playing in the bar

15. Geena Davis planned to use a body double for her sex scene with Brad Pitt, but when she saw models being interviewed, she decided to do the scene herself

16. Susan Sarandon says of her driving experience: “I got so sick of that car – it took me weeks to stop driving like a maniac!”

17. Although the film was shot out of order (as are most films), the final scene shot was the final scene in the movie: the car going off the cliff

18. Producer Mimi Polk Gitlin said that the agreement with the film’s distributor specifically forbade changing the script’s ending

19. In addition to Callie Khouri’s Oscar-winning screenplay and nominations for Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise was nominated for Best Director, Best Editing and Best Cinematography

20. Although he had directed such classics as Alien and Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise marked the first Oscar nomination for Ridley Scott

21. Thelma & Louise is one of only four films in which two lead performers were nominated as Best Actress; the others are All About Eve (1950), Suddenly Last Summer (1959), and Terms of Endearment (1983)

22. Thelma & Louise was a box-office hit, grossing $45 million in the U.S. (on a budget of $16.5 million)

23. Thelma & Louise has become a pop-culture touchstone, and the countless references to it include lyrics in the song “Today 4 U” in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent

24. Thelma & Louise was featured on the cover of Time Magazine on June 24, 1991 – exactly one month after its release

25. The American Film Institute has named Thelma Dickerson and Louise Sawyer to the list of 100 top film heroes. Together, they rank 24 … two spots above Superman

Fathom Events, MGM and Park Circus present Thelma & Louise 25th Anniversary, coming to more than 400 select movie theaters nationwide for two days only: Aug. 21 and 24, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (local time) daily. For tickets, information and a full list of participating theaters, visit www.fathomevents.com.

The First Trailer For MORGAN Is Here

20th Century Fox has released the official trailer for MORGAN.

A corporate troubleshooter (Kate Mara) is sent to a remote, top-secret location, where she is to investigate and evaluate a terrifying accident. She learns the event was triggered by a seemingly innocent “human,” who presents a mystery of both infinite promise and incalculable danger.

From producer Ridley Scott, the film also stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Toby Jones, Rose Leslie, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Giamatti.

Director Luke Scott is the son of Ridley Scott and has worked on previous films such as PROMETHEUS and EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS.

MORGAN opens in theaters on September 2, 2016.

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Time to Die! BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT Midnights This Weekend at The Tivoli

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time… like tears in rain… Time to die.”

BLADE RUNNER plays midnights this weekend (May 6th and 7th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.

BLADE RUNNER is the movie that all the other “sci-fi” films of the last 20 years have been trying, unsuccessfully, to live up to. Some of them have achieved more compelling action, some spiffy CGI effects, but none of them can match the grandeur of this film’s vision or its colorful gallery of characters. It’s a film meant to be savored on the big screen and lucky St. Louis film fans will have that opportunity this weekend midnights at The Tivoli.

The film’s action stylings and detective story plot are mostly a cover for the issues it broods over: what is it that makes us human? How indeed do I know that I am human? BLADE RUNNER took sci-fi film and pushed it into adult territory, just when the Star Wars revolution was threatening to turn the tide forever in favor of “space opera”. BLADE RUNNER brought us back to the days of the German silents (especially METROPOLIS) in which a dark, uncertain future was coupled with doubts about the worth or meaning of human existence.

There is a lot to look at with BLADE RUNNER, with beautiful photography, and inspired direction by Ridley Scott and a batch of memorable performances from the excellent supporting cast. Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty steals the movie from the somewhat disinterested Harrison Ford, particularly in the film’s stunning finale. BLADE RUNNER is also notable for the depth of detail that was put into its futuristic vision. Everything enforces the notion that this is an Earth we would not want to live in, and somewhat oblique dialogue occasionally hints that Deckard would in fact not be on Earth if he was healthy enough to leave. This is a future where you can’t even order as much food as you want at a restaurant.

Reel Late at the Tivoli takes place every Friday and Saturday night and We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman (that’s me!) will be there with custom trivia questions about the film and always has DVDs, posters, and other cool stuff to give away. Ticket prices are $8

A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/589989177835783/

Here’s the rest of the schedule for the coming weeks:

May 13-14 ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND – Written by Charlie Kaufman (ANOMALISA)

May 20-21 THE EVIL DEAD

May 27-28 PULP FICTION

The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop. Visit Landmark’s The Tivoli’s website HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

Sony Pictures Offering Advance Screenings Of CONCUSSION For NFL Teams and Free Player Admission

With the motion picture CONCUSSION already a topic of national conversation among NFL fans and commentators, Sony Pictures Entertainment is offering NFL players and their families free admission to the movie during the duration of the film’s run, which begins on Christmas Day.

The studio has already engaged many current and former NFL players, holding private screenings in each team’s city in advance of its opening. By reaching out to the people who are most impacted by the film’s themes, the studio is engaging with the NFL players to join the national dialogue about the film.

Commenting on the announcement, Ridley Scott and Producer Giannina Scott (who first brought the project to him and produced it with him), said, “This is a movie for the players, so we wanted to give them a chance to see it before its nationwide release and free admission during its run in theaters. The movie is so inspiring – Will Smith gives one of the best performances of his career as Dr.Bennet Omalu, a man who shined a light on the truth. The odds were stacked against him, but he had the truth on his side, and now, his discovery is all anyone’s talking about. We think the players will enjoy watching this movie about Dr. Omalu’s incredible courage – courage that changed the game.”

Players will receive complimentary admission for themselves and one guest by presenting their NFLPA membership card at any Cinemark theater nationwide.

Will Smith stars in CONSUSSION, a dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of American immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Read Cate Marquis’ review here.

The film, a Columbia Pictures presentation in association with LStar Capital and Village Roadshow Pictures, is written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the GQ article “Game Brain” by Jeanne Marie Laskas, and produced by Ridley Scott, Giannina Scott, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman and Elizabeth Cantillon, and executive produced by Michael Schaefer, David Crockett, Ben Waisbren, Bruce Berman and Greg Basser.

National Board of Review Names MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Best Film Of 2015

The National Board of Review has named MAD MAX: FURY ROAD the 2015 Best Film of the Year.

Below is the complete list of awards:

Best Film: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Director: Ridley Scott – The Martian
Best Actor: Matt Damon – The Martian
Best Actress: Brie Larson – Room
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight
Best Adapted Screenplay: Drew Goddard – The Martian
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out
Breakthrough Performance: Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation & Jacob Tremblay – Room
Best Directorial Debut: Jonas Carpignano – Mediterranea
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul
Best Documentary: Amy
William K. Everson Film History Award: Cecilia De Mille Presley
Best Ensemble: The Big Short
Spotlight Award: Sicario for Outstanding Collaborative Vision
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Beasts of No Nation & Mustang

Top Films
Bridge of Spies
Creed
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
The Martian
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
Goodnight Mommy
Mediterranea
Phoenix
The Second Mother
The Tribe

Top 5 Documentaries
Best of Enemies
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
The Diplomat
Listen to Me Marlon
The Look of Silence

Top 10 Independent Films
‘71
45 Years
Cop Car
Ex Machina
Grandma
It Follows
James White
Mississippi Grind
Welcome to Me
While We’re Young

NBR President Annie Schulhof said, “2015 has been a banner year for popular cinema. We are thrilled to be awarding George Miller and Ridley Scott, two iconic filmmakers at the top of their game, while also celebrating the next generation of talent.”

The 2015 William K. Everson Film History Award recipient is Cecilia De Mille Presley, the granddaughter of legendary director, Cecil B. DeMille. As Vice Chair of the National Film Preservation Foundation, she has devoted her life to film preservation. In honor of her grandfather’s legacy she has co-authored the book CECIL B. DEMILLE: THE ART OF THE HOLLYWOOD EPIC.

For 106 years, the National Board of Review has dedicated its efforts to the support of domestic and foreign cinema as both art and entertainment. This year, over 250 films (studio, independent, foreign-language, animated, and documentary) were viewed by this select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students. These screenings were frequently followed by in-depth discussions with directors, actors, producers, and screenwriters. Voting ballots were tabulated by the accounting firm of Lutz and Carr, LLP.

The National Board of Review honors diverse members of the film community at their annual Awards Gala, which also acts as a fundraiser for student grant philanthropy. Hosted by Willie Geist, co-host of NBC’s TODAY and MSNBC’s Morning Joe, this year’s gala will take place on January 5, 2016 at Cipriani 42^nd Street in New York City.

Ridley Scott’s ALIEN: COVENANT Gets Official Name, Synopsis And First Logo

20th Century Fox has announced Ridley Scott’s return to the universe he created in ALIEN with ALIEN: COVENANT, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with PROMETHEUS – and connects directly to Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction.

According to the press release synopsis:

Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world — whose sole inhabitant is the “synthetic” David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

2012’s PROMETHEUS brought in $403.4 million globally and received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 85th Academy Awards.

ALIEN: COVENANT will be released in cinemas on October 6th, 2017.

For more updates follow:

twitter.com/PrometheusMovie and facebook.com/PrometheusMovies

Composer Harry Gregson-Williams’ THE MARTIAN Score And “Songs From The Martian” Available Now

Columbia Records is releasing “Songs From The Martian” and “The Original Motion Picture Score” by composer Harry Gregson-Williams to the critically acclaimed and much anticipated movie THE MARTIAN, available digitally today at iTunes here: Songs Album and Score.

A deluxe edition of the album, “The Martian Deluxe Soundtrack” (Songs Album and Score) is exclusively available at Amazon here.

THE MARTIAN also opens nationwide today and features a star-studded cast, including Matt Damon in the lead role as Astronaut Mark Watney. (Review)

The ’70s-laden album is comprised of some of the greatest classics from disco’s golden era (tracklist below) including “Turn The Beat Around” (Vickie Sue Robinson), “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer), “Rock The Boat” (Hues Corporation), “Waterloo” (ABBA), and “I Will Survive”(Gloria Gaynor), and others.

The music evinces the plight of the film’s protagonist, Astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon (the Bourne film series), who during a manned mission to Mars set in the not-too-distant future is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet with only meager supplies – and limited distractions – including a playlist of ’70’s disco music left behind by Commander Lewis played by Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, Interstellar).

Watney must rally his optimistic spirit, drawing upon his ingenuity and wit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. NASA and a team of international scientists race against the clock to bring “The Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission.

Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels,Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover, among others.

THE MARTIAN’s original motion picture score is composed by Harry Gregson-Williams (The Shrek Franchise, Man On Fire, The Chronicles Of Narnia). Gregson-Williams also previously scored director Ridley Scott’s 2005 movie Kingdom Of Heaven.

SONGS FROM THE MARTIAN

Turn The Beat Around – Vickie Sue Robinson
Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
Rock The Boat- Hues Corporation
Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston
Starman – David Bowie
Waterloo – ABBA
Love Train – The O’Jays
I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
The Martian Score Suite – Harry Gregson-Williams

THE MARTIAN: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE, MUSIC BY HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS

MARS
EMERGENCY LAUNCH
MAKING WATER
SPOTTING MOVEMENT
SCIENCE THE S*** OUT OF THIS
MESSAGE FROM HERMES
SPROUTING POTATOES
WATNEY’S ALIVE!
PATHFINDER
HEXADECIMALS
CROSSING MARS
REAP & SOW
CROPS ARE DEAD
WORK THE PROBLEM
SEE YOU IN A FEW
BUILD A BOMB
FLY LIKE IRON MAN

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: TheMartianMovie.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/MartianMovie
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MartianMovie
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/TheMartianMovie
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Ridley Scott poses on THE MARITAN set of the spaceship Hermes.

THE MARTIAN – The Review

We’re almost a week into the Fall, a time for serious stuff at the cinema, not saucers and BEMs (bug-eyed monsters). Well, hold on to your ray-guns, this isn’t a Summertime sci-fi staple with a much delayed release date. You see, the title character is actually an Earthman, but he’s also an alien since he’s not on his home planet. Huh? And this isn’t a tale set hundreds of years in the future, or is it set “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” (gotta’ wait another ten weeks or so for that). No, this is set in the very near future (unlike that other star franchise), plus it’s rooted pretty much in the realities of space travel. No warp drives or matter transporters here, so star hopping takes a long, l-o-n-g time. Oh, and this flick’s main setting has been making headlines lately (that loud sigh of relief you may be hearing comes from the Fox marketing gurus). For you see, although Mark Watney wasn’t born on the angry red planet, during this story he is THE MARTIAN.

Excuse me if I sound like a famous beagle author, but…it was a dark and stormy night…on the planet Mars. Said storm is bearing down on the intrepid crew of the Ares 3, the pride of NASA’s exploration mission. As those brave astronauts struggle to return to the ship, the violent wind propels a satellite dish into one of the crewmen with the force of a cannonball. Mark Watney is swallowed up into the dust and darkness. His suit is not transmitting any vital signs. Captain Lewis (Jessica Chastain) must make a very tough decision. Those strong winds threaten to topple the rocket which would strand them there (rescue would take months , perhaps over a year). The only option is to blast off and leave behind their fallen comrade. Back on Earth, mission control gets the bad news. The head of NASA, Sanders (Jeff Daniels), makes the formal announcement at a press conference overseen by public relations director Montrose (Kristen Wiig): the Ares crew has left Mars after the death of Mark Watney. But Watney pulls a Mark Twain and awakes after the storm has past. The dish knocked out his vital sign emitter. Dazed and injured he makes his way to the enclosed lab (the Martian Habitat or HAB) the crew had constructed. He’s got his work cut out for him. The supplies will run out long before Ares 4 arrives, so he’s got to grow some food in the reddish clay-like Martian soil. And he’s got to contact Earth. Thanks to his pluck and some old tech, Watney contacts mission control. Now Sanders has a new set of decisions. Tell the still traveling Lewis and her crewmates (Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie) of Watney’s survival? Hurriedly construct another rocket? As plans are made on Earth, Watney embarks on a long, lonely quest for survival.

The element that helps this makes this mainly Mars-bound epic soar is the winning performance of Matt Damon. I mean, if you’re going to be stuck on a big red rock then you’d be very fortunate to have him as company. In other films I’ve been struck by the great chemistry Damon has displayed with his co-stars, particularly the actresses (Emily Blunt in THE APPOINTMENT BUREAU, Dallas Bryce-Howard in THE HEREAFTER), so I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining and engaging he is when he’s, just by himself ,usually talking straight to us as Watney, leaving a detailed video diary. He’s a unique screen hero who uses his intelligence rather than his brawn (or transports or weaponry) to triumph. We believe that he will, as he remarks, “Science the s*#t out of it!”. And despite his obstacles and setbacks never gives in to despair (although he does choke back a few tears). The film could easily get too wrapped up in space jargon, but Damon’s always ready to give this tech heavy story a smile along with a warm, beating heart. It’s a remarkable acting achievement worthy of all the accolades sure to come his way (and isn’t it about time that his screenplay Oscar got a playmate?).

But, despite its title, this flick isn’t a one man show. Damon is ably supported in space and on Earth. On the Ares 3, Chastain plays a decisive leader, although she lets us see Lewis’s agony over having to make the most difficult choice ever. Pena’s does a very entertaining riff on the affable space jockey, the wheel man always quick with a joke to take the edge off a dangerous situation. Mara bounces back nicely from some cinema setbacks as the computer whiz (just as her role in the FANTAST…never mind). Stan is a very courageous tethered retriever while the stoic Hennie surprises with hidden talents. Back on the “big, blue marble” Daniels injects a sardonic wit into the role of the big boss, and verbally spars with the energetic Chiwetel Ejiofor as the new guy who’s not afraid to ruffle some feathers. Just as she proved in DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, screen comedy queen Wiig can be a great dramatic co-star. Sean Bean gives the team’s NASA rep, a strong, stubborn sense of purpose. And the great Donald Glover brings a manic, child-hood sense of joy as the brain that’s always thinking outside the box.

But the big talent that shoots this story past the stratosphere is the great Ridley Scott, who’s doing his best work in years, perhaps decades. This is a worthy companion to his futurist hat-trick begun with ALIEN and continued with BLADE RUNNER. This space saga never lags, never goes into free fall. And after making his name in lots of terrific TV from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to “Lost”, Drew Goddard establishes himself as a major screenwriting talent with this adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Andy Weir. The science never overwhelms the very human elements of this tale. It tells us to use our head, but never ignore your heart. Although it may often play as a modern re-staging of the 60’s cult classic ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS (minus the fantasy beasties), this feels like a truly fresh and original movie experience. Its sense of optimism and wonder soars where the recent TOMORROWLAND, and ,to an extent, last year’s INTERSTELLAR stumbled. Bravo to Harry Gregson-Williams for a subtle music score and to cinematographer Dariusz Wolski for making that alien soil a place of wonder, tranquility, and unexpected danger. Everyone involved are to be lauded for helping to make THE MARTIAN an adventurous, exploration cinema classic that will inspire generations to come.

5 Out of 5 Stars

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