Barbie didn't work out, but Ryan Gosling deserves an Oscar for his role as Space Ken. In the new movie Project Hail Mary, he plays a science teacher who finds himself in space but can't remember why.
About Ryan Gosling, haters often say he's so-called “box office poison”. That's a term used for actors whose mere participation in any project supposedly causes it not to make as much money. But when you look at the company he's in, like when critics labeled even Katherine Hepburn this way in the 30s, or how a decade back, the same was said about Robert Downey Jr. and Ryan Reynolds (then both became Marvel stars and the rest is history...), it clearly means that the person is just waiting for their big hit.
For Gosling, it could have easily been the billion-dollar Barbie if it hadn't already been claimed for these purposes by Margot Robbie (another example of a successful actress whose projects often don't earn much). So, if you want to believe in the curse called box office poison, then the actor known from films like Drive, The Notebook, or La La Land is still waiting for his breakthrough. And I can already say that his new sci-fi Project Hail Mary most likely won't break box office records. *What I must say*, though, is that you should immediately buy tickets, because a film this special hasn't been around for a while and won't be again for a long time.
If The Martian and Interstellar Had a Baby
The story basically revolves around a teacher (Gosling) who one day wakes up on a spaceship in the middle of space. Alone. He doesn’t remember anything but is lightning-fast with math, and some things come naturally and easily to him, which is enough for him to survive for now. Soon, his memories start to return, and he realizes he is literally humanity's last chance to save the Sun.
And I won't reveal more because honestly? The less you know about the story beforehand, the better for you. The important thing is that the novel was written by Andy Weir, the author of the beloved The Martian with Matt Damon, whose humorous yet touching take on science and survival this movie naturally follows.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street) were probably even more inspired by Christopher Nolan's legendary Interstellar. Especially its cinematography, which was stunningly handled by Oscar-winner Hoyte van Hoytema. Project Hail Mary relied on Greig Fraser, who worked on films like The Batman or Dune, so no shortcuts there, and you can clearly see it, especially in the space sequences.
The beauty is endless, and the first scene, where the main character is engulfed by the infinity of space around him, is breathtaking. But it’s not just the strong visuals that this new film with the former Ken can lean on, and which remind you of Interstellar. It's also the nerve-wracking action sequences in space combined with heart-wrenching human moments on Earth, occasionally interrupted by utterly devastating scenes with Gosling on the ship as he realizes this journey probably doesn't have a return ticket.
Emotionally, Project Hail Mary is much more powerful than one might expect, especially for a film from directors, writers, and producers mainly known for comedies. Again, there's a simple explanation, and that’s Drew Goddard behind the camera, the last important name here.
One of the most skilled writers in Hollywood, known for the horror The Cabin in the Woods or the first season of Daredevil, Goddard often works as a script doctor, someone who comes to a project, rewrites the stuck script to save the director and studio, and often doesn't receive any public credit because it goes to the original script’s author. Yet, occasionally, Goddard writes something of his own (or as original as an adaptation of a literary work allows), and in those moments, you should pay attention, because it usually results in the best stuff around. And yes, this is one of those cases.
A Thought-Provoking Message
Allow me a little detour. While the new Czech environment minister Igor Červený and his sidekick Filip Turek (or do I have that the other way around?) along with the rest of Motorists claim that the climate crisis is over, all scientifically grounded evidence (like directly from NASA) says the exact opposite. Now imagine it could get even worse. Maybe after some environmental catastrophe caused by events in space. In such a case, it would be necessary for all competent world governments to start cooperating to create a plan and initiate necessary operations aimed at preventing the worst.
The film depicts this rather peripherally, through flashbacks, but even from those few minutes, it's clear that currently, nothing like that would be possible. Looking at world events and what leaders represent the major powers, it's obvious that humanity at this time simply wouldn't be able to come together when faced with the slightest problem.
It is both sad and chillingly true that the biggest sci-fi element in the film is the idea that states would cooperate on such a level to create even a small hope for survival. In reality, even the notion that competent governments prevail in the world, when looking at today's politicians, is lagging behind. I get that facing everyday issues, considering such a scenario isn't exactly a priority—bread and butter come first, and voters elect their representatives accordingly, but maybe it would just take remembering the last real global crisis humanity faced, asking a simple question—why are those back in power today who couldn't even handle COVID? I rest my case and let's move on.
A Timeless Film and the First Signal of a Strong Year Ahead
All things considered, Project Hail Mary is almost like a unicorn where so much talent came together on one film, complementing each other in a way that's rarely seen, creating a work that functions not only as an extremely successful blockbuster that will entertain the masses but also as a valuable piece about the necessity to return to a fact-based political discourse and mainly trust scientists and science in general.
And I’m deliberately not mentioning the best aspect of the whole movie, which is also a huge spoiler of its plot, and I simply refuse to ruin it for you. That's why there's no video with the trailer in this article, which, in my view, unnecessarily reveals its cards and deprives viewers of a darn cool surprise. Just know that even though the film is largely Gosling's one-man show (and I’m firmly convinced that his performance in this role will be talked about come Oscars time next year), like with Interstellar or The Martian, the supporting characters here are important factors and sometimes the reason for the strongest emotions. Hats off to the German actress Sandra Hüller, who plays the head of the mission.
You don't have to just take my word for it. In Ryan Gosling's filmography, this is his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes (at the time of writing, it’s at 95 percent). It's also one of the highest-rated films of the year, and everything suggests that just like Weir's previous sci-fi The Martian, Project Hail Mary will end with great audience favor. The start of the blockbuster season has been perfect, and I can’t believe we’re only a few weeks and months away from other treats like The Odyssey, Disclosure Day, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Mandalorian and Grogu, and many more. The bar is set high; let's hope it can be surpassed.
Rating: 9/10
