249 In this unscripted weekend episode of Tailoring Talk Magazine, Roberto and Jon somehow manage to go from a countryside bike ride to Project Hail Mary, from Apple launch queues to Greek Cypriot funerals, and from cinema etiquette to whether phones are quietly ruining modern life.

Jon joins the call mid-cycle, complete with wind noise, hills, passing horses and the kind of rural soundtrack that makes it sound like he’s broadcasting from Victorian England. From there, the conversation turns to Project Hail Mary, why Ryan Gosling feels like perfect casting, why the film works so well on a second viewing and why some stories really do deserve to be seen in the cinema.

Roberto then shares a very Apple story about how queuing for the iPad 2 at Brent Cross led to one of his closest friendships, before the episode takes a sharp turn into funeral etiquette, what happens when you trust the wrong person’s dress code advice and why arriving at a very formal funeral dressed for a “memorial” is the sort of nightmare Richard Curtis would have written for Hugh Grant.

The main rant of the episode is all about phones. Phones at funerals. Phones at concerts. Phones in cinemas. Phones in restaurants. Phones at breakfast in five-star hotels when your partner is sitting right in front of you and you’re still staring into the glowing rectangle like a socially useless meerkat.

There’s also talk of Jack White’s phoneless shows, the lost art of being present, whether phone use will one day become as socially frowned upon as smoking, old-school texting, T9 keyboards, Jon’s restaurant phone-stack rule and why your terrible low-light food photo is never going to beat the restaurant’s own Instagram shot.

Also in the mix: Michael, Godzilla, trailers that give away too much and why a 30-second teaser is often more powerful than a three-minute plot summary.

In This Episode

Roberto and Jon discuss:

• Project Hail Mary and why it’s already worth watching again

• Ryan Gosling’s performance and the emotional heart of the film

• The strange magic of Apple launch queues

• How the iPad 2 launch accidentally created a lifelong friendship

• Why Roberto ended up accidentally underdressed at a very formal funeral

• The problem with phones ringing during serious moments

• Concert phone bans and whether they make the experience better

• Cinema etiquette and why people can’t seem to sit still anymore

• Phones in restaurants and the death of basic table manners

• The phone-stack rule and why the first person to touch their phone should pay the bill

• Old-school mobiles, expensive text messages and the pain of pre-T9 typing

• Why modern trailers reveal far too much

• Michael, Godzilla and upcoming cinema chat

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248 Is Project Hail Mary the best science fiction film in years? Jon and Alex think it just might be - and they give it a full 5 out of 5.

In this episode of the Tailoring Talk Magazine Podcast, Jon and Alex sit down to review Project Hail Mary, the big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir's beloved novel, starring Ryan Gosling as reluctant hero Ryland Grace. Jon went in completely fresh with no trailers watched, while Alex had just listened to the audiobook for the second time - making this a brilliant dual-perspective review for both book fans and film-first listeners.

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This episode is split into two clear sections. The first half is completely spoiler-free - ideal if you haven't seen the film yet. We'll give you a clear verbal warning before we move into full spoilers.

🎬 IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:

• Spoiler-free first impressions — book fan vs. going in fresh

• Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace — does he pull off the everyman scientist?

• Tone and balance — comedy, emotion, hard science and heart

• Is it accessible to non-sci-fi fans? (The "normie test")

• Comparing it to Interstellar, The Martian and Arrival

• [SPOILERS] The amnesia and flashback structure

• [SPOILERS] The fate of the crew — coma, the gene question, and ambiguity

• [SPOILERS] Rocky the alien — puppet vs CGI, and why it works

• [SPOILERS] The Ryland and Rocky friendship — the emotional core of the film

• [SPOILERS] Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt and that karaoke scene

• [SPOILERS] The science — how accurate is it really?

• [SPOILERS] Cinematography, aspect ratio, IMAX and practical sets

• [SPOILERS] The mature decision NOT to force a romance

• Book vs. film — which is better?

• Where does it rank in modern sci-fi?

• Final scores — both hosts give it 5/5 ⭐

💬 We want to hear from you:

Did Rocky work for you? Book fan or film-first - which do you prefer? And where does it sit alongside Interstellar, The Martian and Arrival?

🎥 Watch the full video version on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/UADjxbcxDb0

📌 Subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Tailoring Talk Magazine.

🎬 TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Introduction

01:42 – Spoiler-Free First Impressions (Alex – Book Fan's View)

03:40 – Spoiler-Free First Impressions (Jon – Going in Fresh)

04:40 – Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace – Does He Work?

06:01 – Tone: Balancing Comedy, Emotion & Science

08:57 – Is It Accessible for Non-Sci-Fi Fans?

10:23 – Comparing Project Hail Mary to Interstellar

10:38 – ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING – Full Spoilers Begin Here ⚠️

11:49 – The Amnesia / Flashback Structure

13:01 – The Fate of the Crew (Coma & the Gene Question)

14:50 – Ambiguous Endings in Modern Cinema

16:19 – Ryland Grace as a Character – The Reluctant Hero

17:14 – Ryan Gosling's Casting – Right for the Role?

19:00 – Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt

22:02 – Eva Stratt's Karaoke Scene

23:35 – Rocky the Alien – Look, Puppetry & CGI

25:30 – First Contact & Comparing to Arrival

26:08 – The Ryland & Rocky Friendship (Emotional Heart of the Film)

29:41 – The Audiobook Experience

30:28 – The Science of the Film – How Accurate Is It?

33:48 – Ryan Gosling's Performance Challenges (Talking to a Puppet)

35:12 – Did the Film Capture What Book Fans Love?

37:42 – Cinematography: Film Grain, Aspect Ratio & IMAX

40:32 – The Film's Mature Decision (No Forced Romance)

42:32 – Book vs Film: Which Is Better?

43:48 – Where Does It Rank in Modern Sci-Fi?

44:49 – Box Office & The Future of Hard Sci-Fi

46:36 – Final Scores & Verdict (Both Give It 5/5 ⭐)

47:32 – Outro & Call to Action

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247 Another unscripted Sunday catch-up, and this time Roberto is behind the wheel of his new Mini Electric - loving every second of it - while Jon is still waiting for his Nissan to be returned after nine months in a dealership. Life is unfair. We cover a lot of ground this week, from a film you absolutely need to see to a battery technology that could change EVs forever.

Today’s conversation covers:

•Jon’s Nissan saga update - nine months since the car was towed for repairs and still no resolution; a surprise service appointment, a head mechanic who said things he definitely shouldn’t have, and how filing a Financial Ombudsman case suddenly made Nissan very interested in picking up the phone

•Mini Electric vs BMW M2 - Roberto drove the M2 to Sussex mid-week for speed and efficiency, but the car he keeps finding excuses to drive is the Mini; real-world range (150–170 miles), motorway behaviour, remote parking via phone, and why driving silently past school parents in idling Range Rovers is deeply satisfying

•Project Hail Mary - both Roberto and Jon are evangelical about the Ryan Gosling sci-fi film; practical effects, an emotionally hopeful story, and why it might deserve a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination; Roberto’s slightly dodgy viewing arrangement and why he booked Odeon tickets anyway to clear his conscience

•Solid-state battery breakthrough - Finnish startup Donut Lab claims the holy grail: a battery with 400Wh/kg energy density (roughly double current lithium-ion), a potential 5–8 minute full charge, unlimited lifespan, and performance unaffected by heat or cold; if it works, this is the tipping point that makes petrol cars obsolete

•Cheshire road trip in the Mini - Roberto is planning to drive the Mini Electric up to Rookery Hall and the Bentley factory visit on 18th May and film the whole thing as a road trip vlog; expect at least two charging stops and a revisit of the earlier road trip format

•Books & tech - Jon has finished the Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs biography (spoiler: sad ending) and moved on to Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shards of Earth; the Lego Game Boy gets a playable upgrade via the BrickBoy Kickstarter mod; Jon is deep into Final Fantasy VII Integrade on the Nintendo Switch 2

•James Bond - First Light & casting rumours - the IO Interactive Bond game (007: First Light) is roughly six weeks away and Roberto cannot wait, given IO’s pedigree on the Hitman series; Louis Partridge (22) is being linked to the role of a younger, prequel-era Bond, and the lads debate whether the whole franchise is heading in a prequel direction while waiting for Denis Villeneuve to wrap Dune

•Cinema vs streaming - films are leaving cinemas faster than ever, screens can’t fit as many runs of longer films, and both agree Project Hail Mary deserves to be seen again on IMAX - which may well return later in the year

🎧 If you enjoy eavesdropping on these Sunday catch-ups, please leave a rating and review on your podcast app - it makes a huge difference to how many people discover us.

📺 Head to YouTube @TailoringTalkMagazine for video content on lifestyle, gadgets, menswear and more - and stay tuned for the upcoming three-way Project Hail Mary deep-dive with Alex.

Chapters:

00:00 Mini Electric vs BMW M2 - Roberto’s Surprising Verdict


02:46 Jon’s Nine-Month Nissan Nightmare & the Financial Ombudsman Case


03:45 Project Hail Mary Review: Ryan Gosling, Practical Effects & Oscar Chances


05:32 Shards of Earth, Steve Jobs Biography & Sci-Fi Book Recommendations


08:13 Real-World EV Range: Mini Electric, IONIQ 6 & the Joy of Silent Driving


10:18 Cheshire Road Trip: Mini Electric to Rookery Hall & Bentley Factory Visit


13:20 Donut Lab Solid-State Battery: The Holy Grail of EV Charging?


16:45 Lego Game Boy BrickBoy Mod & Nintendo Switch 2 Final Fantasy VII


21:14 007 First Light Game, IO Interactive & Louis Partridge as the Next Bond


25:08 Cinema vs Streaming: Why Project Hail Mary Deserves an IMAX Return

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