“Project Hail Mary” is a superbly crafted and written movie that defied my low expectations. Ryan Gosling single-handedly carries this film, along with an alien creature named Rocky. The picture expertly balances science fiction and comedy with its primary focus being on the relationship between Gosling and Rocky.

The movie uses two devices to tell its story. The first is always in the present and features molecular biologist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) on the starship Hail Mary. The second consists of flashbacks to the past which show the preparation for the space flight and why it became necessary.

In the beginning scene Grace wakes up on the Hail Mary from an induced coma. He looks bedraggled due to his long hair and beard. Worse, he also does not know who he is or why he is in this particular circumstance.

Back in the past, a scientist named Irina Petrova has discovered a phenomenon named the Petrova line. It stretches from the sun to Venus. Worse, the sun is visibly dimming which researchers determine will give the Earth only 30 more years to exist.

Grace is teaching science at a middle school. He is there because he angered other scholars when they did not respond well to a paper which he wrote.

Outside the classroom, as Grace is getting ready to go home on his bicycle, European Space Agency head Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) knows about this past and wants him to come do research for them. He agrees and is placed in a lab by himself. In the lab, he discovers the nature of an astrophage, of which the Petrova line is composed. It consumes energy from the sun and carbon dioxide from Venus to reproduce.

Back on the Hail Mary, Grace realizes that his other 2 crew members died during their 11-plus-year journey to Tau Ceti. He buries them at space after looking at their personal effects. Grace slowly starts to learn how the ship operates.

In the past, scientists have discovered that the astrophages are consuming other stars in the galaxy. Only one star, Tau Ceti, has been spared. In a true Hail Mary attempt to save humankind, it is decided to send a crew in suspended animation for the long journey to Tau Ceti. It is a suicide mission in that while information can be sent back to Earth, none of the crew will be able to go home. They are using astrophages as fuel, and only have enough for a one-way journey.

Back in the present, Grace discovers that a long starship, much bigger than his, has parked parallel to the Hail Mary. As he moves his ship, it moves with him. Soon information is being sent across space between each vessel. A tunnel is created by the other ship for Grace to travel to the other craft. Inside the other ship, Ryan discovers a rock-like creature that looks like a crab with multiple legs. Grace names the alien Rocky.

Back on Earth, an explosion kills the science crew of the Hail Mary before launch. Stratt wants Grace to go as a replacement astronaut. Grace says that he puts the “not” in “astronaut.” He refuses to go. So how is he on the Hail Mary in the future? Will Rocky and Grace be able to save both their worlds?

I went into this movie with low expectations. I assumed that the story would be like “Armageddon,” a bombastic attempt to save the Earth. So I was completely surprised to discover that this was at heart a relationship film between an Earthling and an alien.

At first the structure of the picture threw me off. I couldn’t figure out why Grace had amnesia on the Hail Mary and was flailing about like a crazy person. Then when the flash to the past occurred, it still took a while to get going. But as the story progressed, it only grew in richness and complexity.

The script is based on a book that was sent in its unpublished form, according to the production notes, by author Andy Weir to Gosling directly. Gosling decided to co-produce the story, which emerged as a book before the movie.

The end result is a marvelous film that blew me away. Ryan Gosling is called upon to carry this movie almost single-handedly and he does a masterful job. He is in most of the scenes. He can convey insecurity, comedy, fear, and humanity equally well. It is an Oscar-worthy performance.

The other main character who is in many scenes is Rocky, voiced and manipulated by James Ortiz. According to the production notes, Rocky is a combination of puppetry and advanced animatronics. The result is a top-notch portrayal of a real alien who is very human in emotional ways. The rapport between Grace and Rocky sells the whole picture. They become consumed with saving both their worlds. Yet all in all, the well-written science-fiction aspects play second fiddle to the relationship between Grace and Rocky, all the way to the end of the production.

Sandra Hüller is the other main player in this saga. She creates a person who is very pragmatic to a fault but also cares deeply about saving the world. Her chemistry with Gosling is tangible.

There are many other virtues to this movie. I was mesmerized by the visual effects in space, whether it is one of Tau Ceti’s planets or the interior of Rocky’s ship. The Hail Mary is both a functional and a creative environment.

The score also stands out. It avoids schmaltz at all times, which would have been easy to incorporate. The music communicates the continuing wonder which shows up on the screen.

I have to wonder why a blockbuster like this is being released so early in the movie season. This seems like a summer film to me. I am afraid that it may be overlooked at awards season as a result of its early premiere.

In any case, I have only positive feelings and comments about this production. It is a first-rate science-fiction story that is destined to become a classic.

Five out of five stars

Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Screenplay by: Drew Goddard
Based on the novel by: Andy Weir