On Ryan Gosling (with particular attention to Project Hail Mary)
Spoilers for Project Hail Mary Ryan Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary (COURTESY: Amazon MGM Studios) I’m tired of reviewing film. It’s important to grade film on a scale, and it feels not only necessary in our capitalist world where money is tight and time thin, but also helpful for us to articulate craft. What makes a movie great? Having a personal answer empowers us. I am, however, done, I think, with doing reviewing in any traditional kind of way. Project Hail Mary is a good example of why. I could tell you whether I think Lord & Miller’s new one is well done or not, but I don’t know if my saying it is the most productive act I can do with regards to the film. I think I’d rather just talk about Ryan Gosling. (I originally wrote a bit about Hüller, too, who many will argue is the quiet MVP of this picture, but her performance just needs to be seen. I don’t want to describe it in words, so I won’t.) Gosling’s filmography, the scope of his career and its eccentricit...