Twelve alien
ships, shaped like shells, hover over different random points on Earth. Their
apparent means of communication is humming, at least initially. What is their
purpose? Do they mean harm, or a benign first contact? As one of the shells
arrives in Montana, the U.S. Army under Colonel Weber's (Forest Whitaker)
command, cordons off the area to prevent the site from becoming a tourist
attraction. Two foremost civilian experts, Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a
linguist, and Dr. Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), a theoretical physicist, lead
the contact teams.
Steady but slow
progress is made, but when humans misinterpret aliens' "words", some
countries shut off the exchange of information, threatening a war among
species. Racing against the clock, it is up to Dr. Banks to decipher the
aliens' true intentions...But to convey a message that may save us all she will
have to risk her life.
Arrival is an unconventional movie in
several ways; unlike in most science-fiction movies, the “heptapods” (aliens) do
not invade, and they come with a desire to communicate with humans. Also for
the first time in a movie of its kind, a linguist leads a contact team,
recognizing the importance of language as a means of communication.
The narrative in
the movie switches between linearity in the present, and flashes (in Dr. Banks'
mind) of events that may or may not have happened. Little by little, we get the
pieces of this puzzle until everything makes sense in the end. The humming and
the foreboding musical score create an eerie atmosphere.
The performances
by Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, and Amy Adams are outstanding—the last two
having re-teamed after the much celebrated American
Hustle—, but it is really the story and its meaning that make Arrival a movie so different than those
of the same genre.
It
was considered a snub by the Hollywood Foreign Press not to nominate Amy Adams
for this performance, but in my opinion, her acting was more solid in Nocturnal
Animals, more deserving of a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading
Role.
Great film review as always...I love these 3 actors, too ;) Happy Spring, Carmen :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, TRT! This was a very good movie. Happy Spring to you as well!
DeleteThis does indeed sound like a very unusual sci-fi movie and well worth a look. With those three actors, how could it not be? (I still maintain that American Hustle was robbed at the Oscars!)
ReplyDeleteThe concept was intriguing and well executed. Let me know if you watch it what you think.
DeleteI liked the communication aspects of this movie with the aliens, as well as the flashbacks. I knew there was going to be a time element to it; there often is in these space movies. All in all pretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt was. I didn't see that aspect coming, but it was a nice touch.
DeleteI almost loved this movie, at least I liked it immensely. The communication thing, the fact that Adam's character had to figure out the aliens' language, and the mysterious fluid timescape, all captured my imagination. Any Adams is one of my favorite actors and I am eager to see how she does in Nocturnal Animals.
ReplyDeleteYes, all very interesting aspects that worked out in favor of this movie. I liked her better in Nocturnal Animals but most people disagree.
DeleteI enjoyed this - a bit of a slow burner - but worth watching.
ReplyDeleteLynn :D
Indeed it was.
DeleteI haven't seen Nocturnal Animals yet but I really want to. Amy Adams looks amazing in that (from what I could see in the trailer). I loved Arrival for the most part, though the ending was a bit more esoteric than I usually like. It was far better than most of the other alien movies that have come out in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the ending; I thought it was different. I agree with you that it was better than most alien movies in a long while, plus the "let's talk" approach was refreshing as well.
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