Project Hail Mary
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
There is no doubt that Project Hail Mary was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. I mean, come on, the directors of the 21 Jump Street and Spider-Verse films working with my favorite actor, Ryan Gosling, on a space film that was based off the novel by Andy Weir? This sounds like such a fun time, and my expectations were incredibly high for this film. Thankfully, Phil Lord and Chris Miller hit it out of the park with this fantastic piece of cinema, presenting a great story that was beautifully translated to the screen, brilliant cinematography, and a wonderful performance from Gosling that proves once again why he is arguably one of the best actors working today.
The movie follows teacher Ryland Grace (Gosling), who finds himself in space with no memory of why or how he is there and two dead crew mates. When his memory starts flooding back to him and he is now aware of the suicide mission he is on, he has to figure out how to save the planet and send the findings back to the group of world leaders and scientists that is ran by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller). Now struggling with the idea that he isn't coming home and he will die out in space alone, things take a drastic turn when a new alien life form encounters Grace on his ship. Nicknamed Rocky (James Ortiz), the new life form and Grace must work together to save both of their planets before it is too late.
To start, I think we need to look at the genius behind the filmmaking duo of Lord and Miller. They are known for crafting such fantastic films over the last decade and a half and it seems like they have constantly been upping their game with each new film that comes out. With Hail Mary, the filmmaking duo is crafting this sci-fi journey through space that is full of heart and beautiful imagery. This entire film relies heavily on practical sets and physical puppetry for the ship and the shots in space, which feels so incredibly refreshing compared to the numerous other sci-fi films that are very CGI-heavy and don't feel as personal. Here, Lord and Miller are able to craft this film that makes it feel incredibly special and where the audience can feel the hard work and dedication that the filmmakers put in here. In addition to this, the cinematography from Greig Fraser is spectacular, which was expected of the veteran DOP. I adore many of the shots in these films, and I love how Fraser was able to connect various different scenes together using various unique shots that simply work every single time.
At the same time, I think they also do a wonderful job of adapting this story from Weir to the screen using the incredibly faithful screenplay from Drew Goddard. This picture tells the story of a man who truly doesn't really fit in with the rest of the society on Earth and how he finds companionship with someone entirely unexpected. The filmmakers do a wonderful job of displaying this sort of relationship between Rocky and Grace, focusing heavily on the theme that there is always someone out there for you. Whether it is a friendship or a romantic relationship, no one is alone in the galaxy, and I think the filmmakers do a fantastic job of translating this into the film.
In terms of bringing the character of Grace alive, Goslings gives such a grounded, human performance. Gosling has given various different performances throughout his career, including playing the iconic Driver in Nicolas Winding Refn's film and Ken in the smash hit that was Barbie. Here, however, I think he gives such a unique performance in regards to the rest of the performances he has given, really stepping out of the box and giving such a beautiful performance that works on every level. Gosling is able to convey a lot with very little, and that is perfectly on display here. He combines such great comedic timing with a somber performance of a man who doesn't really know where he fits and what he is doing here, and I'm already predicting an Oscar nomination for this performance.
In addition to Gosling, I had a lot of fun with Hüller's and Lionel Boyce's performances as I think they have wonderful chemistry with Gosling. While they aren't in the movie for long periods of time, the moments that they are present work incredibly well. However, with that being said, the standout secondary performance here is from James Ortiz, who makes his major feature-length debut performance with this film. Ortiz has brilliant on-screen chemistry with Gosling through the puppet character of Rocky, and their friendship is so heartwarming to watch on screen. You easily fall in love with the character of Rocky and this relationship, and the two actors do a great job of really tugging on the viewer's heartstrings with their performances together.
Project Hail Mary is everything I wanted and so much more, delivering such a masterclass in filmmaking that works on every single level. It's beautifully shot, the story and direction is wonderfully crafted, and the performances will go down as some of the best of the year. I loved every single aspect about this picture, and I can't wait go see it again and again.
Comments
Post a Comment