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SLIFF 2015 Lineup Announced; Alex Winter’s DEEP WEB Opening Night Film

The schedule for the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) has been announced and once again film goers will be offered the best in cutting edge features and shorts from around the globe.

The festival takes place November 5-15, 2015.

SLIFF kicks off on November 5 with the opening-night selection, DEEP WEB, with director Alex Winter, who’s honored with the Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award. (Trailer)

Highlights from this year’s festival include:

The 33
Anomalisa
The Assassin
Brooklyn
Carol
I Saw the Light
Krisha
The Lady in the Van
Legend
Love the Coopers
Remember
Son of Saul
Touched with Fire
Youth

THE 33

According to SLIFF, the festival will feature more than 125 filmmaking guests, including honorees: actor/director Alex Winter, winner of the Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award; director Trent Harris, winner of the Contemporary Cinema Award; and director Rosemary Rodriguez, winner of the Women in Film Award.

Full information on SLIFF films, including synopses, dates/time, and links for purchase of advance tickets, will be available on their website by October 15.

Check the site regularly for updates: http://cinemastlouis.org/about-festival

The St. Louis International Film Festival is one of the largest and highest profile international film festivals in the Midwest. The majority of the films screened – many of them critically lauded award winners – will receive their only St. Louis exposure at the festival.

Celebrating its 24th anniversary in 2015, SLIFF is presented by the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, which also annually produces the locally focused St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, the LGBTQ-focused QFest, and the Classic French Film Festival. In addition, Cinema St. Louis is the local producer of the 48 Hour Film Project and hosts educational programs, competitions, screenings, and special events throughout the year.

Attendance has increased steadily during the festival’s two decades, with 23,287 filmgoers attending in 2014.

Because SLIFF is one of only three dozen fests that serve as qualifying events for Oscar live-action and animated narrative shorts, the festival has an especially strong selection of short subjects. In fact, in 2006, the Best Short FilmLive Action winner, “West Bank Story,” received Oscar consideration because it won SLIFF’s “Best of Fest” shorts award in 2005. In 2014, the Academy added SLIFF as a qualifying festival for documentary shorts.

FINDERS KEEPERS (2015) – The Review

How can anyone argue with the rules of our childhood? Finder’s keepers is as sacred an adolescent law of survival as calling shotgun of implementing the infamous triple dog dare. But, what happens when we employ these tactics in adult life? One possible eventuality plays out in real life as the subject matter of a new documentary from Bryan Carberry and J. Clay Tweel.

FINDER’S KEEPERS follows the antics of two men, John Wood and Shannon Whisnant. John Wood lost his leg in a small plane crash that killed his father. Shannon Whisnant is an entrepreneurial picker who purchases the contents of a storage unit at an auction and discovers John Wood’s amputated leg inside a smoker grill within the storage unit he purchased.

You may be asking “how does something like this transpire?” Believe it or not, it all makes sense once the film explains the circumstances, but none of that changes the fact that truth is so often stranger than fiction and some real people are far better characters than can be written. John and Shannon are similar in ways, but are essentially polar opposites when it comes to how they view the world.

The filmmakers who brought us this film may have seen a quirky diamond in the rough, but FINDER’S KEEPERS does manage to tell an interesting story of human desires, delving into what makes these two curious characters tick. On the surface, the film feels like something hosted by Maury Povich or Jerry Springer, with absurdly eccentric characters quarreling over the silliest or strangest of squabbles. However, as the film progresses, the underlying human drama emerges, peeking its head out from behind the cantankerous curtains that separate these two men, revealing some raw emotion of illustrates the true fragility of human dreams and passion.

FINDER’S KEEPERS is not perfect. Few, if any films truly are, but in this case, it’s misleading. In all fairness and full disclosure, I’ll freely admit it took me two viewing to appreciate this film. Upon my first experience, I found the film to be funny and enjoyable, if not even interesting on a tabloid level. The laughter continued, and then a bit less, then a bit less, and I found the level of interest I had in the film was waning and I was growing bored. This was not a good sign.

Then, as any decent critic should at least consider doing, I gave the film a second chance. Still not perfect, but with this second viewing is when all the undercurrents of humanity poked through the surface sludge of silly sensationalistic slander. FINDERS KEEPERS was actually addressing the inner dreamer in all of us, even if we don’t look or talk or behave like these two men, it’s still essentially our story. There is something desired, but it’s just out of reach, despite of perseverance.

As Shrek would say, “people are like onions.” This is true, and not just in that some people stink. People have layers, many layers and these layers are not all the same. There’s not always a pearl within, but the process of peeling away the outer, decaying layers serves to reveal the true self. FINDERS KEEPERS does this for John and Shannon, but in two distinctly different directions.

John Wood is a man whose had a long, hard run of bad luck and poor choices he now lives with while trying to reconcile. He may have began his life in the luxury of a wealthy household, but for better or worse, it’s the choices we make that define us… FINDERS KEEPERS is a film about those choices.

While the film does become somewhat repetitive in its content, it’s a short feature film, running a pleasantly well-paced 82 minutes. While the intent, I believe, is to stay impartial, the truth of the matter is that we rarely ever feel sympathy for Shannon. We find ourselves empathetic for both characters, but ultimately Shannon is the heel, the villain, the antagonist. John, on the other hand, is clearly the protagonist, made out as the victim and showcased as the more likable character, despite his flaws.

The problem with Shannon is that he’s not an easy guy to like, even if we find a bit of ourselves in his persona, a bit of that dreamer or and rebel combined. FINDERS KEEPERS fails to compel its audience into caring much about its central characters, but it does raise some interesting philosophical questions, such as… if I buy a grill at an auction and find a human body part inside, do I retain the rights to that body part as goods purchased, or does the body parts’ owner retain the right to claim it back?

Something to think about.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

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
INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/MartianMovie
TUMBLR: http://martianmovie.tumblr.com/

Ridley Scott poses on THE MARITAN set of the spaceship Hermes.

Daniel Craig And Christoph Waltz Star In Final SPECTRE Trailer

In the final trailer, 007 infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organization known as SPECTRE.

Sam Mendes returns to direct SPECTRE, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as 007 for the fourth time.

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE.

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.

As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

SPECTRE is produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The screenplay is by John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth, with a story by John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade.

Sam Smith’s “Writing’s On The Wall,” is the theme song for SPECTRE. The previous Bond theme song, SKYFALL, was performed by Adele, and was honored with the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Released in the UK on October 26, and in the US on November 6, 2015.

http://www.007.com/

This film has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for Intense Sequences of Action and Violence, Some Disturbing Images, Sensuality and Language.

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of CRIMSON PEAK In St. Louis

When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay: a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.

From the imagination of director GUILLERMO DEL TORO comes a gothic romance starring MIA WASIKOWSKA (Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre), two-time Academy Award® nominee JESSICA CHASTAIN (Zero Dark Thirty, Mama), TOM HIDDLESTON (The Avengers, Thor series) and CHARLIE HUNNAM (Pacific Rim, FX’s Sons of Anarchy). In Crimson Peak, they will discover the power that love has to make monsters of us all.

CRIMSON PEAK opens in theaters on October 16th.

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of CRIMSON PEAK on Tuesday, October 13th at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

We will contact the winners by email.

Answer the following:

Name Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning Spanish language masterpiece.

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

3. No purchase necessary.

This film is rated “R” for bloody violence, some sexual content and brief strong language.

http://crimsonpeakmovie.tumblr.com/

Win Tickets To YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN At B&B Theatre’s OCTOBER RETRO NIGHT

Before you see the new VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN movie this Thanksgiving, see the original 1974 classic – YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN!

Mel Brooks’ monstrously crazy tribute to Mary Shelley’s classic pokes hilarious fun at just about every Frankenstein movie ever made. Summoned by a will to his late grandfather’s castle in Transylvania, young Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) soon discovers the scientist’s step-by-step manual explaining how to bring a corpse to life. Assisted by the hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the curvaceous Ings (Teri Garr), he creates a monster (Peter Boyle) who only wants to be loved.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN will be playing for one night only this Thursday, October 8th at the B&B Wildwood 10! Retro Night showtimes are at 4pm and 7pm and tickets are only $5.

Get yours today at bbtheatres.com

WAMG is giving away free pass vouchers for the show.

Answer the following:

Which Irving Berlin song is sung by Dr. Frankenstein and The Monster?

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SHOW.

2. No purchase necessary.

We will contact the winners by email.

MPAA Rating: PG

MISSISSIPPI GRIND – The Review

By Cate Marquis

MISSISSIPPI GRIND is a low-budget, indie-style road trip movie about two down-on-their-luck fellows, a gambler and his smooth-talking financier, as they make their way down the Mississippi River to a big poker game in New Orleans. With beautifully shot scenes in St. Louis, as well as other river town locations, this rambling, gambling road trip features a fine performance by Ben Mendelsohn and possibly the best-ever performance by Ryan Reynolds, who play a pair of losers looking for redemption and a final jackpot.

Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a middle-aged addictive gambler who has some skill at poker but no little judgment on when to walk away. Gerry is eking out a living in a dead-end job in a small upper Midwestern town when he meets Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), a younger man looking for a “talent” to back. The set-up has echoes of Paul Newman’s “The Hustler” but Gerry is no Eddie Felton. He is one step ahead of loan sharks when he leaves town with Curtis for a road trip to New Orleans, despite a nagging feeling that Curtis is just a con man playing him as Jerry has played so many others in his own life. Part of the appeal of this film is this persistent tension between Gerry and Curtis, and our uncertainty where they are friends or not, and who is conning who at any given moment.

Directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and also starring Sienna Miller, Analeigh Tipton, Robin Weigert and Alfre Woodard, the major appeal of “Mississippi Grind” is in its fine performances and the characters’ believable quirky relationship. We are never sure, until the end, if these men are conning each other or just themselves. Both have histories of deceit and self-delusion, and are hardly reliable in any sense. Yet each has an unwavering hope in the next big score, the next second chance, or a redeeming love just on the horizon.

The other appeal for St. Louis audiences are the scenes filmed here, which present the city as an exciting and attractive place.

Despite the shady, outsider world that both Gerry and Curtis live in, the photography is often bright and colorfully appealing, making the various location sparkle like Las Vegas lights. The photographer is a kind of visual metaphor for the gamblers’ unreasoning optimism. There is a thrill in seeing St. Louis shown as a romantic city with lively nightlife, even if the riverboat gambling cruise that the tuxedo-suited pair take is probably fiction. Even driving down the highway, “Mississippi Grind” is filled with bright, hopeful light and pretty vistas. The film’s title comes from a horse in one of the races at a track, one of many gambling stops Gerry and Curtis make as they follow the river down to New Orleans.

The affection and appealing treatment of locations in the middle of the country is refreshing and one of many things that make this film different from the usual Hollywood film. The characters are the other appeal, not just the fine performances of Mendelsohn, who is amazing in this film, and Ryan Reynolds, doing his best dramatic work ever, as they con or confide in each other, but the whole cast. Sienna Miller gives a touching performance as a prostitute with whom Curtis has an on-and-off relationship. The weaker side of this film is its rambling plot, which gives it an unfocused quality that may cause viewer interest to wander as well. However, the story has enough twists and surprises to bring that attention back.

While it has its flaws, MISSISSIPPI GRIND is worth the trip, thanks in large part to Mendelsohn’s remarkable performance and to the nice St. Louis sequence.

MISSISSIPPI GRIND OPENS IN ST. LOUIS AT THE CHASE THEATER
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015

OVERALL RATING: 2 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS

SICARIO – The Review

By Cate Marquis

“Sicario” means “hitman” in Mexico, as the audience learns at the start of the film of the same name. Although there is indeed a hitman in Mexico, little is straightforward in this mysterious thriller from Denis Villeneuve, the director of “Prisoners” and “Incendies.”

Those films are filled with shades of gray and uncertainties, and pivot on unexpected twists. Those who saw his previous films will know what to expect in pacing and tone, and that this Canadian director has a taste for murky, unsettling almost-horror film-like suspense. However, people who have seen the movie trailers for SICARIO and are expecting a straightforward action film with Emily Blunt kicking butt likely will be surprised. Blunt does play the central character, and she is indeed tough stuff, but the film she is in may not be the one you expect.

Blunt plays Kate, a fast-rising young Arizona policewoman who has been leading SWAT teams specializing in rescuing hostages. She lives for her job, and is idealistic about her work. When a rescue at a modest suburban house near the Mexican border reveals multiple bodies and a bomb, pointing to a sinister larger operation with links to Mexican drug cartels, federal authorities come in. Kate’s boss Dave Jennings (Victor Garber) suggests Kate as the local police officer to assist with a federal operation targeting Mexican drug lords. Heading up the operation is a federal official, Matt Graver (Josh Brolin). He says he is from the Department of Defense, or DoD as he puts it, but there is little that says military about the flip-flop wearing Graver. Although Kate is unhappy that her partner and best friend Reggie (British actor Daniel Kaluuya) is not included on the team, she goes in ready for action. But after meeting team members that include a mysterious man named Alejandro (Benicio del Toro) and a bunch of uniformed military specialists, Kate is frustrated to find herself being constantly told to just observe and given little information about the operation. What they are doing, and even who these guys are, is not at all clear – yet.

Both Kate and the audience are in the dark as to what is really going on, more like a mystery film, well into the story. The shades of gray and sinister, murky doings are more typical of taut international gangster/crime thrillers like “A Prophet” or “Gormorrah” than American action films. The extended uncertainty and unsettled, suspenseful nature of the film may not be what most American audiences expect, given how the film is being promoted. Nothing is given, and viewers are forced to figure out for themselves what is really going on, although Villeneuve eventually spells it out. There is plenty of action and violence but the suspenseful tone of the film is less action film than horror. This emotional tone is boosted by the film’s soundtrack, often little more than a low, uncomfortable rumbling suggesting a threat lurking just under the surface, one that occasionally explodes along with on-screen violence. Visually, shadows and eerie landscapes, sometimes dotted with scenes of violence, fill the screen.

The director builds tension with a sure hand. The acting is strong in this film, with powerful performances by Blunt and Del Toro in particular. We do not learn a lot about their backgrounds, but the essential character of each is clear.

Audiences looking for the typical non-stop chases and action are better off with “Mad Max: Fury Road” or “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.” “Sicario” has long stretches of dark, mysterious, dangerous doings that leave audience members on the edge of their seats, with ominous gunfire in the distance and occasional gut-wrenching violence. Viewers who appreciate the darker, murkier suspense thriller tone of European crime thrillers are more likely to enjoy SICARIO than those who want straightforward good guys and bad guys with plenty of car chases and explosions.

SICARIO is a good suspense-filled crime thriller, with an intelligent story, but the film’s departure from the image created by its ad campaign might create different expectations

SICARIO OPENS IN ST. LOUIS
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015

OVERALL RATING: 3 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS

Watch The New TV Spot For PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION

As we head into the chilly month of October, it’s time to break out the sweatshirts, hot chocolate and scary movies.

Paramount Pictures has released the first TV spot for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION, the sixth film in the blockbuster horror franchise, will premiere in RealD 3D closing night of the Screamfest Horror Film Festival on Thursday, October 22nd at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

The screening marks the series’ return to the largest and longest running horror film festival in the U.S., where the first PARANORMAL ACTIVITY film made its debut in 2007.

The film is produced by Jason Blum and Oren Peli, based on the film PARANORMAL ACTIVITY by Oren Peli. Story by Brantley Aufill and Jason Harry Pagan & Andrew Deutschman, with a screenplay by Jason Harry Pagan & Andrew Deutschman and Adam Robitel & Gavin Heffernan.

Directed by Gregory Plotkin, the movie stars Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Dan Gill, Ivy George, Jessica Brown, Chloe Csengery, Don McManus, Hallie Foote and Cara Pifko.

Experience the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY in a way you never have before as the series comes to a shocking end on October 23rd in 3D.

http://www.paranormalmovie.com/

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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Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

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OVERALL RATING: 2 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS

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OVERALL RATING: 3 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS

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