Project Hail Mary
Through a mix of ambitious and, at times, audacious storytelling, Lord & Miller are able to give a whole new look to the modern sci-fi film.
Nothing ever seems to go right for Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling). In fact, the audience meets Grace as he awkwardly emerges from an induced coma with no idea how he got there or any idea of, well, anything. He is presented with several dilemmas off the bat. His internal back-and-forth between piecing together his past to where he is now for one. Along with, a haphazard approach in his challenge to save the Sun (and, in turn, the Earth). Ultimately, this friction of knowing what was and hoping to discover what comes next will allow Grace to at least come to a conclusion on one thing—what he wants in his life.
In their latest collaboration, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (“21 Jump Street,” “The Lego Movie”) immerse their story once again in a world where anything is possible for its central figures. This time around, their story is adapted from the work of the heralded science fiction writer Andy Weir (“The Martian”). As each trailer suggests, Grace is not alone in this galactic quest to save life as we know it in the galaxy. His counterpart, “Rocky” (voiced by James Ortiz), represents the only hope for the Eridians.
As soon as we meet both characters, it is clear they are unsure of a good deal around them. They are puzzled why the star-eating astrophage is killing life throughout their galaxy. They find it difficult to believe they are the only two figures left in confronting this impending danger. Though, and most critical, they begin to strive to be the versions of themselves that they once thought impossible.
For Lord & Miller, the step-up in financial backing is not only clear in the wider-ranging story being told but also in the production design and the grandiose spectacle of it all. As expected from Lord & Miller, the eccentricity of their world-building is at the forefront. In this film, however, I found it all the more entrancing. Typically, some of the camera movements and fast-paced scenes attempted are only possible in an animation style. There are moments where Grace maneuvers the Hail Mary as done by a Lego spacecraft in “The Lego Movie,” or even a whimsical back-and-forth shopping sequence between Grace and the straight man, government official, Carl (Lionel Boyce), which could have easily been from one of their “Jump Street” films.
Gosling’s performance in this film is not too dissimilar from what we have seen from him in his most recent past. This character is not a match to any of his previous characters, but he is never too far away from the longing, pensive stares of Officer K in “Blade Runner 2049.” Additionally, his role as the innately lonely Neil Armstrong in “First Man” is evident as he floats around the confines around him. Furthermore, the comedic side of his performance as the bumbling, yet sincere Holland March in “The Nice Guys” pokes around here. Even shades of Ken’s desire to find his place in the world around him from “Barbie” can pop up. I would not characterize this as Gosling’s signature performance of his career; however, it is clear to see that he has an acting zone and profile that no one else in the mainstream can share.
While most of this film does take place inside the walls of the Hail Mary spacecraft, it is impressive how lived-in Grace and Rocky’s characters are in this story. Notably — and I think the most visually rewarding scene — there is a sequence with Grace in the midst of the planet Tau Ceti’s Petrova line that represents all that is worth celebrating in the illustration of science fiction storytelling. Although, at times bluntly, the creative team is more than aware that the visuality of a story is as propelling as anything said or done.
The core of the film, though, lies in its rather ambitious toggling between the film’s more comedic and dramatic instances between Grace and Rocky. As popularized throughout the genre, their first encounter as neighboring spacecraft introduces suspense into the mind of the viewer. How will they react to each other? Is the other one my ally? For both, what does the other look like? In this rendition, these contemplative questions are just as quickly answered. It is done so in a quirky, almost clear understanding that they are attempting to break away from what the audience is expecting. When the fate of the galaxy is in question, the appearance or hurdle to communicate seems infinitesimal.
Once Grace takes the leap of faith, or in this case takes his helmet off, the formalities of breaking down each other’s psyches are all but pushed aside. These two are in a similar situation; they have some absurd similarities, and both even enjoy the sensation of “hanging ten” on the water. How can you blame the creative team for dialing up the fervent nature of their relationship, as if anything but a relationship between an Earther and an Eridian would be anything but fantastical!
Contrarily, there is not anything recognizable in Grace’s relationship construction with other characters. Other than Rocky, we often see Grace interact with his direct supervisor, Eva Stratt (played by Sandra Hüller). Although I cannot say I felt underwhelmed by Stratt as a character or Hüller’s performance, she is not given much screen time or substantive character growth to become more than a caricature of a “powerful, but emotionally misunderstood” persona.
Interestingly, this type of, usually, female character is a trend in most of Lord & Miller’s projects. Whereas the buddy dynamic in most of their films flourishes within the movie’s themes, it is often the romantic interest of their leads that never quite elevates the greater story. More than anything, they become a throwaway attempt at building up the resilience and confidence of the leading character. I will say, though, Hüller does steal this film for five or so minutes, incorporating what is Harry Styles’ greatest contribution to film thus far.
The expectations of “Project Hail Mary” are set through its somewhat controlled careering of the first 45 minutes of runtime. At the outset, the slapstick nature nestled in between spurts of Grace’s isolation did take a bit of adjustment. Nonetheless, there is a quality and emotional propulsion in this picture that I have not quite seen lately in the genre. Albeit a bit uneven and heavy-handed in its overall execution.