Arrival (2016)
2016
PG-13
116 Minutes
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
User Review
-
I'm going to be in the minority here when I say that Denis Villeneuve's ARRIVAL is a film I didn't love. Don't get me wrong, it has all the makings of a good film, but I just couldn't help feeling overall unsatisfied.
Villenueve is a filmmaker that's almost guaranteed to put anything on screen and its automatic cinematic gold. 2015's SICARIO was my favorite film for that year and his earlier PRISONERS is a masterpiece in itself, so I had very high expectations for ARRIVAL. Unfortunately, it didn't quite deliver.
The film stars Amy Adams as Dr Louise Banks, a linguist hired by the government to help decipher the language used by the visiting aliens and determine whether or not they are friendly. I personally am a professional interpreter, so I was stoked to hear Villeneuve was making the profession a centerpiece for his new film. The main theme of the film is "communication" and how it is important to communicate in order to achieve the greater good.
Acting is top-notch and I wouldn't be surprised Oscar nominations were thrown around at the cast. This includes Oscar nods for screenplay, directing, and cinematography.
So why didn't I love this and didn't give it a better score, you ask? Let me explain.
(to be continued)1 member likes this review.
