Arrival Movie Review
Arrival was definitely one of my more anticipated movies for the fall. The trailers intrigued me and director Denis Villeneuve always brings a unique aspect of creativity to his stories. What worried me going in was that both Prisoners and Sicario really intrigued me but never completely grabbed me like I wanted them to. Also, I'm usually not the biggest science fiction fan. So going in, I had high hopes but was managing my expectations.
I'm happy to say that this is an absolutely fantastic film. The thing I loved about it was it makes you think. It has a lot of themes about language, cyclical processes, and foreign relations. I won't say any more on that front since I don't want to spoil anything. Right after I left the theatre, I had a burning desire to discuss the movie with everyone else and that's usually a good sign. It's one of those movies I feel you can write a whole paper on because it encompasses so many levels of life.
Another thing I thought was clever is the perspective the audience is handed. I'll try to hopefully explain it without too much confusion. Since we have no relation to the characters and never have experienced a global alien invasion we are somewhat unbiased. At the same time, we get the perspective of what's going on behind the scenes with the military and the alien interactions. In the movie, the general public knows none of this. Now this could just be a personal thing I felt but it was cool because from the audience viewpoint you saw a thought of the public's immediate reactions as rash. Even a lot of the military's actions seem like they are jumping to conclusions or being too aggressive. However, at the same time I was thinking... if I was in that situation I'd probably be just as panicked and scared of all the uncertainties and be inclined to act on impulse.
A few other things I greatly appreciated were the amazing score and cinematography(Jóhann Jóhannsson and Bradford Young respectively). Amy Adam and Jeremy Renner's chemistry on screen was extremely strong and for me a little unexpected. No scene or moment is wasted and I was enticed throughout. The highlight of the film is its subtleness. Nothing is handed to you. You need to pay attention and analyze what's happening.
There aren't many negatives here. I'm not sure how great its rewatch ability will be but for all I know It could be a film I watch 20x over. Some plot elements may cause a little confusion but in a way I liked that since it opens it up for conversation. I think its obvious that I'm having a bit of trouble finding actual negatives.
Overall, Arrival for me is Denis Villeneuve strongest film by far. It's a very topical film that should be seem in theaters and is an extremely strong science fiction story. 9.5/10 from me and that could go up after it sits with me more and I see it another time. Go see this one!
