2000s SF film

[peteryoung]

Stranded, 2001, Spain   DIRECTED BY MARÍA LIDÓN
Spain isn't exactly known for its science fiction movies so this isn't the kind of film that leapt off the shelves on its DVD release, and I doubt it's widely known amongst English-speaking SF fans. Telling the story of the first Ares mission to Mars that crashes on the surface and leaves the crew fighting for survival and fighting amongst themselves, it's different from a Hollywood 'Mars' film in that it's ponderous and measured with a reasonable content of understated drama, yet it's notable for it's visually arresting and believable landscapes of the surface of Mars – actually Lanzarote and the Canary Islands. The script flouders around and struggles for realism sometimes, and Stranded is far from being scientifically accurate and it does have a rather inconclusive ending. Actress María Lidón also directed, and the other female star, Portuguese actress Maria de Medeiros, is much better known for her role as Bruce Willis's girlfriend in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Don't watch this expecting action or a perfect story, watch it because it's a good effort, and often visually exceptional at the very least.