Arrival (2016)

A linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.

Directed: Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner: 2049, Dune: Part I & II, Sicario)

Original Novel by: Ted Chiang (Story of Your Life)

Writer: Eric Heisserer (Bird Box)

Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario, The Theory of Everything, Prisoners)

Cinematographer: Bradford Young (When They See Us, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Selma)
Editor: Joe Walker (Dune: Part I & II, Blade Runner: 2049, Sicario, 12 Years a Slave)
Production Designer: Patrice Vermette (Dune: Part I & II, Vice, Sicario, Prisoners)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language
Staring: 

    Amy Adams as Louise Banks

    Jeremy Renner as Ian Donnelly

    Forest Whitaker as Colonel Weber

Plot

I used to think this was the beginning of your story. Memory is a strange thing. It does not work like I thought it did. We are so bound by time. By its order...But now I'm not so sure I believe in beginnings and endings. There are days that define your story beyond your life. Like the day they arrived.

Louise Banks is a very talented linguistics professor who is approached by Colonel Weber after twelve alien vessels arrive on earth. The Montana site has made contact, and she is tasked with finding a way to communicate with the alien race while other nations are trying to do the same. Together with physicist Ian Donnelly, they explore the complexity of language as they race against time to discover why the aliens came to this planet as the likelihood of conflict draws closer.

Arrival is a Science Fiction movie, but don't be deceived: This movie is more about the human condition than it is about outer space. I love this movie, I remember getting to see it in theaters (an experience I wish I could bestow upon you all) as the sheer size of it deserves the silver screen. At the very least, I recommend a decent sized television and a dark atmosphere to really let all those wonderful moments pop! 

Ever since I saw this movie (and 2018's Annihilation) I have been obsessed with alien movies that break away from the tropes surrounding "aliens coming to earth" films. I'm sure you can easily picture a copy and paste War of the Words type story where the aliens arrive, we all have to come together as a planet to fight them, and by some miracle we prevail. It's a fine tale, but I think it leaves little room for meaningful story telling (aside from maybe that humanity should work together more in general, but even then that is hardly ever the focus).

However, movies such as this feel almost Lovecraftian to me. Not so much in the horrific sense (though there is some of that), but for the sheer size and incomprehensibility of the alien and its purpose. These types of alien movies are the ones that enthrall me, and Arrival is what set off my personal search for more.

Soundtrack / Score

There are very few songs that are scored into this film. That is one thing I like (especially for this type of movie), as recognizable songs are a comfort for the audience and this movie does not seek to make you feel comforted at any point. However, Max Richter's On The Nature of Daylight is the song that is chosen to begin the film, and it is such a perfect choice; at this point  pretty much associate the song with this movie almost exclusively. For that and its restraint, the score gets a 10/10.

Jóhannsson does a wonderful job of building suspense leading up to the First Contact with the aliens, with haunting, echoing sounds. The rest of the film's soundtrack is less notable but I think its subtle work is part of it's charm. 

Overall, 9/10.

Cinematography

I was surprised to learn that it was Young who was the cinematographer for this movie as he is fairly new to blockbuster movies and the only other pieces I've seen his work in are nothing at all like this one. His work on this film instantly places him amongst titans, showcasing to perfection what can be achieved with the right mind. Every trick in the book is brought out in spectacular fashion to give so much life to this story. The only reason he will not be getting a perfect score for me is some a single lighting choice. Young uses lighting quite drastically to help tell the story, but the degree to which some shots are affected is just a hair too much (such as the image below). This is not a pervasive issue with most of the movie, but it is one that bothers me just a tiny bit on every rewatch.
A visually stunning movie, regardless of my little nitpick. Young gets a 9/10.

Final Thoughts & Overall Rating

As I stated earlier, Arrival is a film about humanity. Our fears and our curiosities are the invisible masters that drive every human character on screen, for better or worse. Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner perform some of their best work for this film (especially for Amy) as our guide through this unique circumstance. I would recommend this film for anyone interested in watching just an objectively great movie. Every element of a film comes together so perfectly, and I love to see it unfold every time. One final piece of praise I will give to this film: Arrival stayed with me long after I left the theater, and many times since I have found myself meditating on its structure and philosophy. 

9.5/10

Beaux Score: "Ooh spooky! 10/10"

¡Tierra de Aguafiestas!

(Land of Spoilers)

I'm a sucker for a good twist, and I love showing them to my friends even more to get their live reactions. I am proud to say it was this film that finally managed to catch my very astute friend Gabbi off guard. Suck it Gab!

On The Nature of Daylight ends the film in addition to beginning with it, highlighting the cyclical nature of the entire story (a neat little trick many a film have used to give the audience a sense of completion ). However, I also think it is just a wonderful song to have when the concept of Time gets messy with a film. Even with its role in the movie Shutter Island, the song feels to me like the joining of two points in time. In this movie, of course, it joins the future with the present. It's just a beautiful piece, and one that I will listen to frequently, but I think it's place in film is in this story specifically.

While we're speaking about music, Jóhannsson's work weaves us from this tense beginning into a sound that is much less alien and even more hopeful. I think this is a very subtle way to convey to the audience that the intentions of the Heptapods are good intentioned long before their purpose is made clear. RIP Jóhannsson.

I also appreciate the challenge at the end of the film after the twist is revealed. If you could see your future, would you change it? Could you even? There are times in my life when I sided with Ian's opinion, that Louise chose wrong. But in all my viewings and especially this most recent watch through, I can't help but sympathize and ultimately agree with Louise's choice, even if it wounds my soul.