Linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) shows up to lecture one day and notices most of her students didn't show up. As she proceeds, her students are receiving strange notifications. A student asks Dr. Banks to turn on the TV to watch the news channel, only to see eight mysterious alien ships land across the globe. No one is sure what to think of it. One day later, Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) approaches Louise in her office to decipher a translation from the alien language. Louise needed interact with them in order to answer his concern. Why are they here?
Amy Adams gives an extraordinary performance. She brought so much humanity with her character. Amy continues to prove why she's one of the best working actresses in Hollywood. Everyone else was good and serviceable. You didn't need a story arc with Forest Whitaker as the Colonel or Jeremy Renner as a Scientist/Mathematician. They had the right amount of contribution to the movie and it would be wrong if they did more. The story revolves around Amy Adams' character, but you couldn't have this movie without Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.
It would be a shame if cinematographer Bradford Young didn't get an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. ARRIVAL looks breathtaking. I was in awe. The look of the film enhanced the beauty that was brought to life. I also can't forget about the score. It had a nice blend when the film brought mystery, suspense, and love. I won't get into too many details, but you'll see what I mean once you watch the film.
ARRIVAL is by no means an action movie. It's a sci-fi mixed with drama and mystery. It leaves you guessing why the aliens have arrived throughout the entire run time. ARRIVAL is a slow burner with a huge payoff in the end.
I haven't been able to stop talking about ARRIVAL since my screening on Thursday night. I even saw it again in the weekend to catch new things and because I wanted to watch it again! ARRIVAL is a film that also reflects on how we perceive life. I can't give any more details without revealing spoilers. But I will say that ARRIVAL released at the perfect time.
ARRIVAL is not only the best sci-fi film of 2016, but also one of the best films of the year. I'm flabbergasted by how director Denis Villeneuve releases a quality film every year. If you aren't familiar with him now, you will be by the time his next film BLADE RUNNER 2049 releases next year.
