On Monday afternoon some of us from the circuit had a trip to the cinema to watch Ryan Gosling’s latest film ‘Project Hail Mary’. I’m not a great sci fi fan, but this is more of a film about camaraderie lightly hidden in a plot of pending inter galactic disaster. One isolated human having to team up with a stony faceless alien to save their suns from being eaten away, leading to the ultimate destruction of life on their home planets. Their relationship is triggered by the exchange of gifts; they learn to communicate gradually through a kind of sign/dance language eventually leading to the kind of deep feelings for each other that leads one character to be prepared to risk everything to save the other (and that’s after they have together come up with a formula to save their respective worlds).
It’s hard to have a hero without a face – I found it quite off putting – I needed a face to position the rest of him – I wasn’t sure when he was the right way up. No facial expressions made it hard to know how he was saying what he said. It made the actions by the characters more poignant – attempts to hug through the barrier of an encasing ball, thumbs up (and down) to show agreement and ‘bump my fists’ (fist bumps) in celebration – all made me think deeply about what communication is all about.
This film speaks of deep concepts – a human genius rejected by his people but finding acceptance (maybe even love) with an alien, salvation of two worlds but one person risking his life for another being’s wellness, communication against all the odds, watching over another being as they sleep.
In today’s earth of chaos, of lies and counter lies, disagreements and mis communication, this film speaks of Hope. The kind of hope we as Christians find in our God – who persists in trying to communicate with us whatever barriers we erect, who continually gives us gifts and favours, who watches while we sleep and who would travel light years to keep us close.