Denis Villeneuve has quickly become one of the best directors working in the industry today, thanks to his sharp writing and creative direction. This can be seen through his latest feature Arrival, a mind-bending experience that is layered with brilliant commentary and phenomenal writing, making it an absolute must-see.
Trailer courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The true highlight of Arrival comes from what it wants to say about the ideas of communication and language. Without going into spoilers, this sci-fi drama focuses upon a more realistic approach on what would happen if aliens did in fact land, and how different people would react to it, as linguist Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams attempts to communicate with the aliens, study their language, and discover what their purpose is for landing on Earth. This story becomes far more dramatic and cerebral in the second half, as a major plot point occurs that now begins to strategically poke holes at xenophobia in ways that are profound and clever, succeeding in a powerful story that Villeneuve tells through vivid imagery, methodical pacing, incredible scoring, and brilliant storytelling, showcasing elements and sequences through clever metaphors involving time and communication, culminating in a gorgeous and powerful climax and finale.
Such a story is also helped by some truly incredible performances. Forrest Whitaker works as a great foil as the stern and doubting general, and Jeremy Renner is a fantastic co-lead who elevates much of the dialogue he's been given through his charisma. But the real star of the film would have to go with Amy Adams as linguist Louise Banks. Adams does a fantastic job portraying her character as both cold and distant as well as brilliant and fast-thinking, while still managing to portray enough likability and warmth in her that makes her engaging and lively. That kind of subtlety and balance in her performance is something that deserves heavy appreciation, which will hopefully be given by the time Oscar nominations occur next January.
Arrival is a profound and brilliant sci-fi feature that features incredibly creative writing, phenomenal performances, and great presentation, notably in its visuals, pacing, and score. It's admittedly rather hard to write about the true highlights of the film without going into major spoilers, but it's important for one to go in with little to no expectations of the story and characters, as it allows the viewer to truly see a one-of-a-kind film from a one-of-a-kind director.
4.5/5 (Excellent)
