Arrival
Louise Banks: "We need to make sure that they understand the difference between a weapon and a tool. Language is messy and sometimes one can be both."
"Arrival" is directed by Denis
Villeneuve ("Sicario", "Prisoners", "Enemy") and
stars Amy Adams as Louise Banks, Jeremy Renner as Ian Donnelly, Forest Whitaker
as Colonel Weber, Michael Stuhlbarg as Agent Halpern, Mark O'Brien as Captain
Marks, and Tzi Ma as General Shang.
She's contemplating whether to call Superman or not.
Mysterious alien ships of unknown origin
arrive at 12 different locations throughout the entire planet. Two days into
figuring out the purpose for their arrival, the United States military calls
upon acclaimed linguistics professor Louise Banks to help decode and understand
the language/method of communication the aliens are using. All the nations are
working together to figure the aliens' purpose, but when misconstruing
information is taken by some nations, the world finds itself on the brink of a
global warfare. Thinking it may help end the intensity of countries ready to
fight, Louise takes a huge risk that may or may not pay off for her and for
humanity.
It's difficult to remember a film that has
made me feel something extraordinary and think so much about life in recent
years. "Arrival" is a film that does this and more. It's crazy to
think that a movie about an alien invasion does this, but it surprisingly does.
To be fair, "Arrival" isn't a movie specifically about aliens and how
humans deal with them. It's a movie about the core of humanity and
characterization. In the forefront of the movie is Amy Adams' Louise Banks,
who, throughout the entire film, we learn more about her past, present, and
future. We follow her struggle with family and her struggle with the burden of
saving the human race. Two completely opposite issues, yet the film mixes them
incredibly well. My jaw dropped when credits started rolling. Oh my goodness, I
just couldn't contain my happiness for how cinema isn't throwing out the same
bulls**t every week. When we get movies like "Arrival", we get to see
the growing nature of screenwriting, directing, and acting. I can, without a
doubt, see Amy Adams being nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards.
Not only was it her that did a fantastic job in her portrayal, but the whole
cast did a spot-on job with what they were given. No flaws in the acting.
I'm one of those film lovers that holds
the script above all other components of a film. To many, that may or may not
be their way of thinking, but I feel that way. "Arrival" is complex ,
yet beautiful in the way it expresses its themes and dialogue. It's a film
that, for sure, is meant to be seen more than once. I can't wait to grab a
notebook and take many notes on what the details are in the characters'
conversations. One of the biggest topics that "Arrival" tries to get
through to the audience is that of language and communication barriers. Jeremy
Renner's Ian Donnelly put it perfectly when he said that Louise "approaches
language like math". I'd have to be a smart motherf***er to understand and
speak the amount of languages that Louise does, but I'm sure that there are plenty
of people that can. That's why the actions of a team, led by Louise, trying to
comprehend the aliens' "written" and verbal way of communication is so
interesting. We, as humans and not as an audience, learn while the characters
learn. Nobody knows the answer. It's a language barrier that can lead to mistakes
and disaster, but the way screenwriter Eric Heisserer adapted Ted Chiang's
story into a remarkable film is beyond words. It's beyond creativity. It's
beautiful.
While all of these elements of
"Arrival" were a highlight of my enjoyment, I cannot overlook the
fact that this is a film directed by favorite up-and-coming director: Denis
Villeneuve. This guy has been on my radar since "Prisoners". Even
though "Enemy" had come out earlier, I hadn't heard of him since
"Prisoners". I saw "Enemy" after seeing that one.
Nevertheless, I'm ecstatic that he's come out with a movie that has exceeded my
expectations. I heard, from what critics and viewers have said at film
festivals, that this movie was supposed to be good. I never thought I could be
surprised even more from a movie that has gotten praise like this. Congrats,
Denis. Your work has made me hopeful for other filmmakers who want to explore
regions of genres while still maintaining their signature mark. I mean, if you
look at the surface picture of "Prisoners" and "Arrival",
they're two very different movies in the world their held in; one has a mysterious
kidnapper and murderer and the other has aliens arriving at Earth with unknown
intentions. Still, they contain their dark undertones of the uncharted
territory. Nobody knows what's going to happen in the next scene. His vision for what how the film looks even compliments his tendency for the unexplored. Props to the cinematographer too. Damn, is this film gorgeous to look at. I'm so
excited for Denis' project: to direct the sequel to "Blade Runner"! I feel like the studios
have picked a perfect fit for a film that uses Noir and Science-Fiction to
present a dark and fascinating future. Here's to the future of film talent!
Ah, s**t! I think he heard me! Do your thing. I don't want to bother you.
It's difficult to explain what more I like
in "Arrival" without giving away spoilers, but take my word for it:
it's a great movie. It's not very often that a film makes me wonder about
humanity and its struggles. When it does that, it's more than a film. It's art.
"Arrival" is a work of art that's entertaining, using slow burn
methods for telling a captivating story, and thought-provoking. Help this film
garner more attention than it has. I don't know what the outcome of a film like
this will do in the box office, but whatever it is, it won't be good enough. I
can already tell you that "Arrival" is catching the eye of the film
academy and already is going to be on my top ten of the year.
5/5
PRO
- Thought-provoking themes
- Engaging character study alongside Amy Adams
- Script handled with complexity and beauty
- Cinematography is gorgeous
- Denis Villeneuve directs another film for the ages
CON
- None
"Arrival" is rated PG-13 for brief strong language
Click here to watch the
trailer
"Arrival" is in theaters now
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