Arrival

November was a huge month for a couple of prolific cinematic franchises. The Marvel Universe once again with the release of DOCTOR STRANGE, and the magical world of Harry Potter received the prequel treatment with FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. While these two productions, along with Disney’s latest animated adventure, MOANA, proved that successful blockbusters aren’t limited to summer, there was another film that quietly emerged as one of the best films of the year. Serving as the anti-INDEPENDENCE DAY, ARRIVAL is a thought-provoking, fascinating, and unforgettable sci-fi thriller.

Without warning, and for reasons that are unknown, 12 unidentifiable crafts arrive at different locations across the globe. The black vessels, which immediately invoked comparison to the mysterious monolith in 2001: A SPACE ODYESSEY, remain silent and stationary while the entire population of the planet desperately yearns to discover the reason behind their sudden appearance. Military and governmental forces alike forge a global coalition that is desperate to solve the potentially cataclysmic mystery.

One of the vessels appears in Montana, and renowned linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is approached by Colonel Webber (Forrest Whitaker) to help crack a code. Webber plays Banks a garbled recording, and asks her if she can translate what she hears. She listens to the choppy segment of sound, and states that without interacting with the being (or beings) emitting the sounds, it would be impossible for her to decipher anything.

Louise learns that the snippet of audio served as the military’s first attempt to make verbal contact with two beings that reside in the craft in Montana. Realizing they would be unable to crack the code themselves, they invite her to come to the site to try and decipher what the creatures are saying. Also along for the ride is scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) who is brought along to work with Banks in order to get a clearer picture of what exactly the beings are, and what they want.

Regardless of the actual plot, when you see a trailer for a film that centers around a potential alien invasion, one can’t help but think of the countless action films that have been released over the years. Many of these follow the same course and plotlines, and ultimately do little to invigorate the genre. This is where ARRIVAL shines. For the first time that I can remember, the initial invasion isn’t immediately followed by the destruction of many of the world’s greatest monuments. This is a film with a story to tell, and the tale itself is more important than the spectacular special effects. That’s not to say, however, that there aren’t dazzling visuals to be seen throughout. The vessels are haunting in their singular plainness, and the creatures themselves are mesmerizing. Their form of communication is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and Louise’s attempts to decipher the complex puzzle is as spellbinding as any of the vicious attacks generally seen in alien actioners.

There is a wide range of reasons why ARRIVAL shines so spectacularly bright. First, there is the Denis Villeneuve (SICARIO, PRISONERS) impeccable direction. While this is a film that is largely dialogue driven, it is a production whose visuals are frightening, hypnotic, and strangely beautiful. There is always an undercurrent of potential danger residing just below the surface of every scene, and the viewer is left to wonder if global annihilation is the ultimate end-game. This is also a credit to screenwriter Eric Heisserer, who adapted the story from “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang. I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised to see Heisserer’s screenplay receive a handful of nominations during the upcoming award season, including an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. The dialogue is smooth, smart, and honest, and was far more imperative to the success of the film than in most titles in the alien-invasion genre.  

Amy Adams, who was the absolute perfect choice to play the resolute Louise, delivers another amazing performance. At this point, this should hardly come as a surprise. Her ever-growing list of incredible turns (JUNEBUG, ENCHANTED, THE FIGHTER, THE MUPPETS, HER, AMERICAN HUSTLE) becomes more impressive with each passing year, and she once again shows why she is one of the most reliable and talented performer’s working in movies today. Her ability to inhabit each character she plays, and make them wholly different than the one that proceeded it, is an intangible trait that can only be executed by someone at the top of their craft. Her turn as Louise is no different, and allows the character to become as real as any I’ve seen this year. Humbled by the unfathomably difficult task at hand, she is also resolute in her determination to bridge that divides the creatures from humanity.

It’s been well over a week since I initially saw ARRIVAL, and I don’t believe that there has been a day that has gone by where I haven’t thought of the film. A flawless mix of expert direction, screenwriting, and acting, it easily emerges as one of the best films of 2016.

A special thanks goes to Regal Cinemas at Destiny USA for allowing me to attend this month’s film.

GRADE: A

Arrival

RATED: PG-13

RUN TIME: 1h 56min

GENRE: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

STARRING: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve 

Writers: Eric Heisserer (screenplay), Based on the story “Story of Your Life”  by Ted Chiang

Brian Miller