"Arrival" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars

As far as this year has gone, there have been a lot of refreshing movies. Unfortunately, most of them have gone almost completely unnoticed. But one that was getting a surprising amount of buzz was the movie "Arrival". This surprised me, as independent films like this one rarely get this much attention. But, the movie did have a lot of big names acting. What piqued my interest even more was seeing that Denis Villeneuve was the director over this movie. This guy is incredibly talented, releasing some of the best movies I've ever seen such as "Prisoners", "Enemy", and my personal favorite by him "Sicario". So I was definitely excited for this movie. The basic premise of the movie is that aliens have invaded Earth. The military hires linguist Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams) and scientist Ian Donnelly (played by Jeremy Renner) to try and decipher why the aliens have come to our planet.

On the surface, this movie sounds deceptively simple. There have been a lot of different alien invasion movies, some pandering to audience expectations (like the popcorn flick "Independence Day") and others surprising audiences (such as "Signs"). I'm happy to say that "Arrival" was not at all what I was expecting it to be. If audiences are going in expecting an action flick with a lot of explosions and blood, then they're going to be disappointed. This film instead ends up being a quiet, intelligent, and compassionate contemplation on the human condition as well as time. The thematic arc of this movie is powerful, but it isn't hammered into your head, either. It lets you think about its message for yourself long after the film is over. Not only is this film different in its theme, but it also takes its time with establishing its style. The visuals of this movie are breathtaking. When I first saw how Villeneuve decided to depict the alien vessel, I was blown away. It looks frightening and fascinating at the same time, and the usage of some incredible fog effects adds to the whole look of it. The aliens were also depicted very creatively, not at all like I've seen them portrayed before. I won't spoil too much about their appearance, but they do come off as scary in their appearance but also oddly human in some intriguing ways.

Let's discuss in some more detail the thematic arc of this movie. Now some people are not really going to appreciate how the theme is presented. I will admit, long after seeing the movie I had to think about whether everything in the movie properly added up or not. Using time as a theme can be a very tricky thing, and if it's done wrong, it can ruin the basis of your whole movie. But the way Denis did it, I felt as though it worked. I was left with some questions as to whether I was interpreting the movie correctly or not. But, after considering it, I think that Villeneuve wanted the audience to be left with questions. That way the movie could continue to be discussed. The complexity of time is not something that can be answered so quickly, and this movie shows that concept over and over in immensely clever ways. In fact, time does not seem to matter so much to the characters as just appreciating the life you're a part of does. Too often, we as humans worry about time rather than just living our lives. "Arrival" touchingly suggests that maybe we don't have to consistently worry about our lives, but instead take things as they come. There's so much more that could be discussed in regards to this idea, but it would take way too much time. Another theme honed  in this movie is how language doesn't have to be a barrier; it can unite us. Louise talks over and over about how language has been the one thing that has been able to change the course of human history. It has been able to prevail over violent acts. Even the aliens seem to be able to connect in some way to the linguistics that Louise practices. This theme felt just as powerful as the theme of time, and it is something that can bring us all together. As someone who is a lover of language, Villeneuve talking about language in such a loving way really connected with me.

The acting in this movie only served to strengthen it. Every performance here was top-notch; no one felt like they were bringing the movie down. The clear best performance was Amy Adams as Louise Banks. This is easily the best performance of her acting career. She really plays this character in a touching way, giving this character a lot of compassion for everyone surrounding her, including the aliens. But what really sold me on Adam's performance was the vulnerability she gave to her character. I always felt as if Louise was quietly suffering throughout the movie (and when you see, the movie, you'll be able to sympathize with her reason), and for that reason, her humanity shone throughout the whole movie. When  Louise finally finds some happiness, even if the happiness is bittersweet, we fee relieved and happy for her. This character is so easy to connect to, as she shows all the potential that people can have. Jeremy Renner also gives a great performance as Ian Donnelly. Though this character didn't have quite as much complexity as Louise, Renner still gave this character a lot of likeability, especially in his humor and chemistry with Adams. He worked really well with her, and you were really rooting for the relationship between these two characters. Forest Whitaker as Colonel Weber has a Boston accent that takes some time getting used to, but he too gives a great performance. He does want to just kill the aliens, but once you understand this character, you can sympathize with his reasoning. He and Adams' character have an intriguing dichotomy, and while the movie refutes Webers' ideals about the human condition, it still gives his point of view validity, which is rare to see in a movie. Those are the three main performances of note, and there are plenty of other great side characters  in the movie that give superb performances as well.

"Arrival" is a surprising movie, but I say that in the best way possible. I have never seen an alien movie that has so much on its mind. It gives interesting complexity to its human and alien characters. The themes in this movie are beautifully compelling and easy to connect to. I can't  recommend this movie enough, as it is different from any other movie released this year. It won't have your typical blockbuster movie tendencies, and that's exactly what makes it look so good. With great acting, compelling themes, and beautiful visual style, you don't want to miss this movie. It may just be the best movie of the year!