When alien ships descend upon the Earth without taking any hostile action, Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) are recruited by the United State military to ascertain the aliens' purpose on Earth - and do so in a peaceful manner. Unfortunately, the language barrier between the humans and the aliens is making it difficult to complete that task. So begins the quest of Dr. Banks as she tries to decode the alien language so that communication can be established.
Arrival is not your typical alien disaster movie where the aliens arrive on Earth and start destroying stuff. This is not a film about humanity trying to defend themselves from an alien horde. Instead, this film is about trying to establish peaceful first contact. This gives the film's story a rather original feel. It's not often that you see a movie about two scholars trying to understand a language.
This is all probably making the film sound really boring, but it is not. Though the pacing is a little slow, the film takes full advantage of it. Prolonged sequences of the main characters' first look at and inside the aliens' ship is used to masterful affect, actually instilling a sense of awe in the viewer (unlike a certain Star Trek film that just so happened to be the first one ever made...). Elsewhere, the slow pacing gives the film a grounded feel. As a matter of fact, everything about this film feels really grounded - an uncommon trait amongst sci-fi films. Everything from the dialogue to the visuals to the lighting to the camera work gave the film a very real feel. Throughout the film, I could not shake the feeling that the events that were unfolding in front of me could believably be happening, which is not a feeling that most movies give me. In fact, this may the first film I have ever seen that did so.
On the whole, I thought the writing in this was really good. The story is told in a non-linear fashion, which means you have to be paying attention while watching this film. However, I do not think this detracts from the film. Rather, it enhances the film by adding to its intensity. I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on, and by the end everything is very clearly explained, giving the feeling of a journey being completed. It made the film a very rewarding experience.
In addition to the story, the acting is wonderful. Amy Adams totally nails her character, injecting her character with a perfect combination of nervousness and wonder. Jeremy Renner is fun to watch (as usual) in the supporting role. The chemistry between the two is also excellent. These two actors carry the film, and they do so to perfection.
Before I conclude, I want to mention the score as well. I don't mention film scores in my reviews very often, but this is one of those times when the score deserves some recognition. This is not one of those scores that is in your face throughout the film. Rather, the score is quieter and more subtle. It appropriately sets the tone for each scene and keeps you on edge as you watch the film. Of the film scores I have listened to, it also has the most unique sound, so there's that too.
It is unfortunate that Arrival came out when it did because it came out right in between the new Marvel film (Doctor Strange) and the new Harry Potter film (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them). As such, this film will probably go unnoticed by a lot of viewers. I think that is very unfortunate. While I can't speak for Fantastic Beasts because I haven't seen it, I can say for a fact that Arrival is a much better film than Doctor Strange. (Although I can say with a bit of certainty that Arrival is probably better than Fantastic Beasts as well... sorry, Potter fans). I know it's easy to ignore standalone films when big franchise films are out, but please don't cheat yourself on this one. Arrival is a stunning, well-made film that deserves as much recognition (if not more) as the franchise films that are out right now. This film deserves to become a classic. Go see it.
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