Stranded (María Lidón, 2001)

I'm struggling with Stranded, the 2001 Spanish sci-fi drama directed by María Lidón under the name of Luna. I'm really having problem with it. Is it good or is it a failure? Maybe misunderstood or... overrated? This is one of those movies that gonna challenge you. Not necessary regarding the story, but more the style it's shot. Personally I dislike the typical space operas like Star Wars and Star Trek, you know. Fantasy dressed up like sci-fi. Star Crash is one of the few in the genre I love more than life itself. The best sci-fi's according to me are the one that dares to be serious, or put a different story in a space environment. Alien is bascially a horror film in outer space. Outland is a western. Solaris is a existential drama. Event Horizon is haunted house movie, etc. 

Stranded is of course not a silly sci-fi movie. It's a quiet drama about the first mission to Mars. Something happens and they crash land on the surface. In the beginning it seems like they're gonna make it, but after a while they realize that there's just enough air and food for two persons to survive until the rescue mission can be there - in two years time! Three people have to sacrifice themselves in order to save the other two. The one's chose takes their space suits and starts walking towards the Mariner Valleys, to die no one have been before... but is there something hiding in the mysterious fog bank down there...?

There's no action in Stranded. There's no horror or spectacular things. But it's still a sci-fi with a naive but interesting concept. I was prepared for a movie about dying - a timeless subject, accepting one's mortality. But I got a little bit more. Instead what we have here is... eh, I don't wanna spoil it for you. Watch it yourself. Let me know what you think.

What can be irritating is the flat direction. I sense there's an idea to shoot this drama like a indie drama down at earth. Naturalistic dialogue, talk about sex, a couple of annoying characters (one of them played by Vincent Gallo - I like that dude!), silence created by irritation and not atmosphere. The first part could have been set in an apartment in New York, but about a totally different subject. Directo Lidón have a problem telling the story in such a confined space and more than once it just ends up with every character in line, saying their lines.

But don't let that scare you away. It's still pretty interesting and after a while you'll get used to the simple style and sometimes flat acting. More than a few times I thought for myself, "This would be very, very good if it got a remake" and I still think the same. It's a simple, effective story that ends in cryptic way - but not so cryptic it gets irritating. You know what's happening and it's cool.

I wish I could like Stranded even more. Now it's a good movie, not great. It triggers the imagination, which is a very good thing in my mind. Give it a try sometime, if you dare...

Comments

[Megatron]

"Personally I dislike the typical space operas like Star Wars and Star Trek, you know. Fantasy dressed up like sci-fi."

I got noting against space operas.......but the fanboy community around the whole thing is the most disturbing part about these franchises.

"Star Crash is one of the few in the genre I love more than life itself."

Never seen it.

"Alien is bascially a horror film in outer space. Outland is a western."

I like both of them......I´m hoping they will do a Bravestarr full feature one day....hahhahah....talking cyborg horses, etc.

"(one of them played by Vincent Gallo - I like that dude!)"

I got nothing against him but.......The Brown Bunny(2003), what was he thinking...?

But he had the balls to do it......so, yeah, he is ok.

"I wish I could like Stranded even more. Now it's a good movie, not great. It triggers the imagination, which is a very good thing in my mind. Give it a try sometime, if you dare..."

Well.....I love scifi, so I will it see one day......the idea of this being an indie drama set in space sounds interesting enough for me.

So yeah, I dare....hahahhahhaha......good review and thanks.