REVIEW:
What’s not to love about being in a fast car with Christian Bale for two hours? Director James Mangold filmed exquisite racing scenes putting audiences behind the wheel flying over famous raceways.
Damon, the same, consistent character, even with his hint of a southern accent plays the charmer. As always, if you love him already, you’ll love him in this. Each actor plays a likable caricature, which I’ve decided is the outcome of historical films that take themselves too seriously. As the story went, Henry Ford II did take on the Enzo Ferrari, who was always at the top of the speed game. It took a pure driver in love with racing, who had already seen battle, to go to war in the most difficult race in the world.
RATING: B (Being a nice way to spend an evening…)
REVIEW in HAIKU:
Bale drives cars as fast
As Damon can design them
Classic speed racers
He’s like an all-American Bond with MacGyver’s intuition. Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vickander, and even Julia Stiles ride along to stop the world-threatening madness by outsmarting one another, getting to Bourne first, and attempting to win him over.
This film is a giant leap for outer space storytelling after many films that take only small laborious steps from one malfunction to the next. This film achieves the same survival efforts but perks up the pace by blending them with upbeat attitudes and humor, a boost for math and science education, and a swell of hope.
We wonder if we’d make it. On the reality tv series Survivor, it’s more about interconnectivity and socio-relational survival. You’ve gotta win the trust of the right people. Our Martian is all alone but can somehow function, create, self-motivate, and build. Fortunately he is vlogging, or video journaling, instead of talking to a volleyball. There is a countdown, rationing, always a next step.
Then the supporting cast gets to work. The future NASA as it is presented, looks feasible as they pull an Apollo 13 by pooling their efforts and collective genius. Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Jessica Chastain…the list goes on. It’s a beautiful cast on a film worth seeing.
Damon’s character Watney sees problems as opportunities. He strategizes and builds, sets deadlines and works hard to meet them. In his own quirky way, he says goodbye to every little thing, thanking storage bins and chairs for helping him make it each day. 
Gratefulness goes a long way. And whether he survives or not, you feel, as he does, simply thankful for each day, each sunrise, each plant, each breath.
The message of this film is clear: life is precious and worth fighting, striving, creating, growing, learning, laughing, surviving for. Don’t miss it, any of it.
Splatter: on FILM 