"Project Hail Mary," a stunning sci-fi film starring Ryan Gosling, showcased the entire production's ability to make even the most uninterested filmgoers excited about sci-fi.
As a self-proclaimed film nerd, I have to admit that I've never been interested in sci-fi as a genre. However, I am a fan of Gosling, so I decided to give the film a shot. Surprisingly, it was one of the best movies I've seen this year so far.
In its more than two hours of runtime, "Project Hail Mary" brings in striking intergalactic visuals with emotional storytelling about a science teacher and his new rock-shaped friend.
The film starts slow and esoteric, easing the audience into the mystery of how the film's main character, Dr. Ryland Grace, ended up in another star system. This is when the audience first witnesses Gosling's expertise at subtle emotions and long-form character work.
When the audience is first introduced to Grace, we see two sides of him that almost come off as distinct, separate characters as the film switches between the past and present. In the film's past, Grace is portrayed as a quirky science teacher. In the present, he's an astronaut who has awoke from a coma with no memories and finds his coworkers dead.
The differences between these forms of Grace aren't just visual but are also felt through the ways Gosling handles the vastly different stages of Grace's story.
Gosling plays Grace from the past as a teacher who can't stop cracking jokes at awkward moments and is characterized by fidgety mannerisms. Meanwhile, in the present, the audience is shown a calculated man who's just trying to piece together how to get home and save his species.
The stark contrasts between the past and present characters begin to fade away as the film reveals itself to not be a sci-fi thriller about a man trying to survive alone in space, but instead a film about companionship and what defines bravery. The movie hits the audience hard with this tone shift when they introduce Rocky, an eccentric rock-like alien who also found himself in solitude, trying to save his planet.
Rocky, played by James Ortiz, helps bring the two versions of Grace into one character. Rocky assists Grace in regaining his memories while also serving as the second brain to their mutual goal of saving their planets from destruction by a star-eating microorganism.
The movie shows the characters' antics as Grace and Rocky try to find a way to communicate despite language and cultural barriers. Gosling truly begins to shine in this role as he reverts to his past self, marveling at the alien he just met.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz, the host of the podcast "Happy Sad Confused," Gosling expressed the practical effects used for Rocky helped deepen the relationship between the two characters.
Despite a lack of facial features and the overall appearance of a rock, Rocky still manages to form a bond with both Grace and the audience through his movements, sculptures and high-pitched language.
The liberties this film took in its visuals and designs for sets and characters are what truly made this movie fantastic. The movie takes advantage of the spaceship and interstellar setting by maximizing its use of colors and light.
Slow, isolated moments are characterized by tight angles, low lighting and uncomfortable turns, whereas the moments of astonishment are illustrated through colorful lights, calm camera movements and angles comfortable to the eye to establish the scene.
The design of this film blew me away. In an age where movies are so dull and overall colorless, "Project Hail Mary" was a breath of fresh air.
Another aspect I loved in comparison to sci-fi movies in the past was how its big ideas of planet biology and Earth-ending scenarios don't come off as pretentious.
As a viewer, one of the most irritating things about sci-fi is how it feels the need to prove it's a science-based film. Overusing made-up space lingo, "Can you explain that in English?" moments make me roll my eyes.
Yet, "Project Hail Mary" never feels like the movie is trying to seem smart. The movie exists as it is with the problems it's facing. Due to this, the main conflict and how Rocky and Grace solve it come off as reasonable and captivating.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Senna James and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at omoranwi@asu.edu.
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