A Hit with PROJECT HAIL MARY

 

Jeri Jacquin

Opening in theatres today from directors Christopher Miller, Phil Lord and Amazon MGM Studios is a journey in space to save the universe with PROJECT HAIL MARY.

Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is a middle school science teacher who wakes up on a spacecraft. After a bit of panic, he realizes that he is one of three on the ship that is light years away from Earth, but the only survivor. How did he get there? Before being a teacher, he was a molecular biologist and that is why Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller) has come to see him.

The sun is dimming and it has to do with the Petrova line, a line that goes from the Sun to Venus. What is causing it is something scientist call Astrophage and that gives Earth only thirty years before catastrophe. Getting himself together on the ship, Grace realizes there is one planet not affected by the Astrophage. Heading that way, he comes in contact with another ship with a passenger dealing with the same problem.

Rocky, a five-legged-alien, becomes a partner with Grace in trying to discover what can stop the Astrophage. Learning to communicate and putting their brilliant minds together, they both have the chance to not only save their planet but get home. The partnership between Grace and Rocky cause them both to make sacrifices in the name of universal friendship.

Gosling as Grace is absolutely stunning and total perfection in this film. As a man who doesn’t mind helping the cause of saving the planet, he doesn’t see himself as brave enough to do what’s necessary. What Gosling does with this character is never letting him be anything other than himself. This film is wrapped up in so many emotions and Gosling delivers at every level. From insecurities, to sadness, to pure joy, Gosling never once lets the audience catch their breath. All of it is like a Christmas present in March! The relationship with Rocky melted me completely and, makes me think it’s time to bring pet rocks back…with legs.

Huller as Eva is the one person one earth who believes in Gosling. From the moment they meet, she sees that he is different than most of those working on the project. It is that difference that she needs to make everything work. Huller gives her character a quiet strength that seems to be the one holding the biggest candle of hope without letting anyone around her knowing it.

Two important shout outs here. The first, Lionel Boyce as Carl, the man assigned to Grace in the beginning. I just love how he is this government guard yet, there are moments where his character is less strict and works with Grace in the oddest and best way. James Ortiz is the voice of Rocky and, after laughing through all the voice choices, Ortiz gives the little alien such a personality that I’m in love with (feel free to send any toys of Rocky my way!). When there are characters like this in films, the voice is everything and Ortiz is everything and more.

Other cast include Travis Jay as Tilt-a-Whirl, Bastian Fuentes as Parker, Milana Vayntrub as Olesya Ilukhina, Ken Leung as Yao, Priya Kansara as Mary, Mia Soteriou as Dr. Browne, Annelle Olaleye as Olivia, Maya Eva Hosein as Rekha, Paul Lambert as Dr. Scyther, Orion Lee as Dr. Li, and Aaron Neil as Narender.

PROJECT HAIL MARY is from writer Andy Weir who has also brought about the film THE MARTIAN, another space films that I absolutely adore. ARTEMIS is still in the works. More than novels, Weir has written serial novels, short and long stories, comics and graphic novels. I’m excited to see what he writes next.

First of all, the film comes in at one hundred and fifty-six minutes and I loved every single, solitary moment. To be fair, THE MARTIAN (2015) is a film I have seen to many times I can’t even count and it is because of the mixture of intelligence and humanity. It has been my favorite since then but, the reign has come to an end. Now, PROJECT HAIL MARY has taken the lead and, for the very same reasons. The best part? They were both written by Andy Weird so, it’s a win-win.

Gosling runs away with the film with his love of science, even if it didn’t go in the direction he thought in the early years. Once called upon to help save the world, Grace might have hesitated but, in the blink, he’s in space doing just that. There is so much to say about Gosling’s performance but I have to admit, I don’t know if I can ever see him cry again because, the audience in the theatre with me were crying along with him. He wrecked an entire room and, he wrecked the unwreckable (insert me here).

The space scenes are so beautiful, colorful and could quite easily make anyone want to go to space. Inside the ship looks so complex in the beginning, but, with the help of Rocky, comes to be ever more complex yet, easy to follow along with each characters thought process. Thanks to Neil deGrasse Tyson, I even understood a lot of the space references. Now, about Rocky, I can’t even believe how dang cute he is and, although oddly shaped, I wouldn’t change one bit of him.

I loved the Easter eggs in the film, as I’m sure Steven Spielberg does as well. The humor totally had me laughing, the story is just so smart that I now need to read the book to see if I missed anything and tissues should be handed out before entering the theatre. This is a film that is such a must-see and my space favorite of 2026 and beyond. The ending, so you know, is amazing!

Go spent time this weekend weightless in space and cheer on the saving of the universe!

In the end – believe in the Hail Mary!

It is the Journey of HAMNET

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from director Chloe Zhao. Focus Features and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of HAMNET.

In 16th century England, Agnes (Jessie Buckley) is a young woman spending her time in the forest with her falcon. Her time is spent gathering herbs and napping under a mysterious tree. William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) is a tutor who is working to pay off his fathers’ debt. Looking out the window, William is captivated when he sees Agnes. Following her, they find themselves connected.

Later at home, William’s mother Mary (Emily Watson) is not happy to hear that he is drawn toward Agnes. She tells him that she is the daughter of a forest witch. Unmoved by what she thinks, William and Agnes find themselves spending time together and she urges him to tell her stories. In exchange, Agnes reads his palm speaking about not only his future but theirs together.

Getting married, they start a family together and William cuts contact with his own family. Agnes talks to her brother Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn) about sending William to London to pursue his writing and theatre. Agnes is at home raising their children. The years go by as the children grow and William continues going back and forth between family and his career.

Then, there world falls apart and the love between William and Agnes is tested. It is when the Globe Theatre’s production of Hamlet comes to the stage that the couple realize that the tragedy has affected them both but in different ways. The couple, in one moment, begin to heal together.

Buckley as Agnes is a woman who has her own beliefs in what her mother taught her about the forest and herbs. Meeting William, she sees their future and the happiness they could share together. Buckley is truly amazing in this role giving a woman who didn’t follow the societal rules of the time. Although she wants her husband to succeed, this film centers on Agnes life of sacrifices and the last ten minutes of the film is absolutely hers. I couldn’t move watching her performance and although there aren’t many words, everything is on her face and it killed me.

Mescal as William is a man who also fights against what is expected of him as a man. Living with an abusive father and a mother who follows all the societal rules, William tries to find his own way. It is with Agnes that he has someone who believes in him, even when there are times he doesn’t believe in himself. Mescal plays beautifully with Buckley and, along with her, makes the last ten minutes of the film gut wrenching.

Watson as Mary is a woman who believes what she does about Agnes yet, when William isn’t there, she steps in. Watson has her moments of importance in the film and, no matter what her role, she is an iconic actress. Alwyn as Bartholomew is also a supporting character for Agnes. When she needs him, he is there, even up to the very end.

Other cast include Faith Delaney as young Agnes, Smylie Bradwell as young Bartholomew, Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet Shakespeare, Olivia Lynes as Judith Shakespeare, Justine Mitchell as Joan Hathaway, David Wilmot as John Shakespeare, Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Susamma Shakespeare, Freya Hannan-Mills as Eliza Shakespeare, James Skinner as Gilbert Shakespeare, Elliot Baxter as Richard Shakespeare, and Louisa Haraland as Rowan Hathaway.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Features include Family is Forever, Cultivating Creativity, Recreating the Tudor Period, and Feature Commentary with Director Chloe Zhao. 

HAMET is a film filled with themes that can be found in many of Shakespeare’s works. Buckley’s Agnes feels like such a strong yet ethereal creature, especially when she is in the woods living that life. Mescal’s William is a man that is obsessed with stories, words and the feeling of being lost in them both. Director Zhao takes that story and gives it the stunning feel not only of the time, but of the feel of both Agnes and William.

Zhao describes her experience of making HAMNET as deeply personal, ritual-based and an emotional production process. To capture that, she used small, handheld cameras allowing the process of capturing moments instead of camera setups. It is also not surprising that Buckley has already won a Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild award. Onward to the Oscars, definitely.

What the film brings together is the struggle of life, unexpected love, untimely death, the way of grief and acceptance of pain all wrapped together. All of it leads to the ability to forgive one another in the swirl of it all. The cinematography is harsh yet beautiful, emotional yet brutal and when put together with the cast and, is nothing short of spectacular with music to bring the tears.

In the end – keep your heart open!