The Martian

Premiere Poster - Fox Movies

This movie adaption of the self-published novel by author Andy Weir really is a great film and well deserving of its current box office success.

There is a truism that continually does the rounds in Hollywood and that is, that science fiction particularly hard Sci-fi, is a recipe for financial disaster Obviously they have not ever heard of Star Wars, Avatar and Aliens and many many more. 

I have actually had people argue with me and tell me that Avatar or Star Wars are not Sci-fi, they are action films. As if the two have to be mutually exclusive.

This movie tells the story of a manned mission to Mars, with six astronauts one of whom is botanist Mark Watney (Damon). They are tasked with bringing back samples when the mission is thrown into disarray when heavy weather causes the mission to be aborted.

Mark is hit by flying debris and presumed lost; his communications and telemetry both no longer sending a signal and he is presumed dead. The other five, played by Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie and Michael Peña, have no choice but to head back to Earth.

It turns out he is alive but stranded and that is what the story is about. His fight for survival on a hostile planet with limited resources. It will be years before he can be rescued and this will be a real fight for survival.

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He channels his inner MacGyver and uses scientific knowledge and all his physical and mental strength to grow food, build shelter, repair and create tools and equipment and the list goes on.
As Mark says, “I’m going to have to science the s--- out of this.” and it is a very apt description for what he has to do to survive.

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It is an eminently watchable film and if you love sci-fi, space exploration and seeing how the ingenuity of man can rise above his circumstances and the environment in which he lives this is a must see film.

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Ridley Scott has produced this paean to hard Science Fiction and he should be applauded for it. We need more of this type of film to generate interest in manned space programs and to show people what the human race could be capable of. Andy Weir did his research when he wrote the book upon which this is based and everything you see in this film could be possible right now. This film isn't fantasy, it is a possible reality.

  

 

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5 Stars

Breaking Bad - Series 6 - Episode One

Breaking Bad coming back for a sixth season.

The recently leaked and much anticipated sixth season is all that fans could have hoped for and more. Shooting is still underway due to scheduling issues, but hopefully we will see season six released mid next year.


I have been privileged enough to watch the final visual edit without music scoring for the first episode and have seen the script for a further 2 episodes which I will cover in later posts. I will give you a short synopsis of them being careful to not reveal too much, but hopefully it will give you some idea of the treat you are in for.


The first episode opens with a scene in a jail cell where someone is being beaten viciously by some prisoners. As the shot opens out you can see Walter White in prison greens standing in the doorway watching it calmly with a prison guard by his side, also looking on.
This alone tells you that Heisenberg is back in business and his transformation is seemingly complete.

After the opening titles we go back to where we left season five. We witness police and and ambulance dealing with the crime scene at the compound where Walter White was injured and last seen dying surrounded by the chemistry lab where Pinkman was kept as a meth cook slave at the end of season five.

Without to many spoilers, Walter White is seen being taken away to hospital, all filmed from his hazy semi-conscious perspective laying on a gurney, and as you might guess from the fact we have a new season to enjoy, he does live. At least for a bit longer.

A brief outline of the plot for the first episode and some selected content from the scripts for episodes 2 and  3 is as follows:

• Walter in prison hospital alone but we do see his wife. I will say no more about that meeting but it is important and involves a fortune and a treasure hunt and a continuation of their truce.
• Walter being arraigned and held in a prison hospital.
• Saul is back from hiding out and this time he has his work cut out to say the least. All I will say is it is a good thing the judicial system can be as dishonest as the criminals they put on trial.
•  A meeting and a developing relationship with a strange priest who wants to save Walters "soul", which becomes important to the plot as the season proceeds.
• Without saying whether he is found guilty or not and spoiling it, I can say that the wording on one of the past seasons "All Hail The King" becomes appropriate again whilst he is in jail, although it does take a few episodes to get there.
• His cancer is still around but is being treated again. In fact the very invasive surgery he underwent after his gunshot injury brings some new facts to light about his cancer. I will say no more...

The end of the third episode sees him much recovered, in jail on remand but very busy with a new occupation and his skills and services much in demand.

Margin Call 2011

Margin Call - 2011

Lionsgate

One of my personal favourites, Margin Call, a film based around the time of GFC, is an excellent dramatic depiction of the events during that crisis period. The film stars notable acclaimed actors Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons, however, a large part of the story is told from the perspective of Zachary Quinto’s character – Peter Sullivan.

The context of the film is around a large investment bank that is making considerable layoffs. One of the employees dismissed is Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci) who had been doing some research and identified some risky assets that are held by the firm. He hands that information to Sullivan before his departure. As an analyst, Sullivan discovers that the securities identified by Dale that are held by the firm need to be disposed otherwise, the firm will be worthless.

This issue is escalated to the leaders of the firm – Sam Rogers (Spacey) and John Tuld (Irons). There is conflict over whether the securities should be sold to the open market as the impact on the economy would be devastating. This is the part of the film that I was captivated by which reflects just how bleak and over-pragmatic the views of these people are and how capitalism can derive negative outcomes.

The performances were remarkable and gave an intense insight into the challenges faced by many corporate professionals in that period. A great film with very appealing drama.

5 Stars

By Navin Ralhan