'Arrival' is a little gem that will be remembered forever.
- Admin
- Jul 5, 2019
- 2 min read
Aliens trying to take control over the world or humans have always been one of the most popular exploration topic in movies since decades, starting from Invasion of the Body Snatchers to Alien to The Independence Day, Men in Black, War of the Worlds to now Arrival, which turns out to be one of the most unique and emotional spins of the theme that was ever created.
The story begins after twelve mysterious spacecrafts started appearing around the world. Soon, people realize that it involves a different living form. Louise, who works as a linguistic, along with the military tries to communicate, and make contact with aliens.
Arrival, supposedly can be described as a subdued and intimate take on the sc-fi genre. It is much more than that, at the same time it's a very exciting, and intense ride. Its dark, slow-paced atmosphere and subtle tone are what make this picture so mesmerizing. Despite being seemingly so “inaccessible”, it's really a fairly accessible film for the mainstream audiences.
The production side of this film is compelling and hypnotic. Presentation of the aliens was unique and compelling – it was minimal, but so stylish and effective, which is exactly why it worked. The visual effects done are heartfelt and memorable, without being over-the-top and explosive. The whole scenery and imagery in Arrival make for a beautiful and exclusive cinematic experience. At the top of that the soundtrack fitting every scene adds to the experience.
A nifty and intelligent screenplay is based on a short story, A Story of Your Life. Naturally, the expansion to a full movie-length script results in many adjustments and changes, involving a very well-executed and smart twist, involving main character’s daughter, which adds heavily emotional moments to the story, making it hard not to root for Louise.
Adams carried an entire movie on her shoulders, giving one of the most spectacular and well-thought performances of the year, and showing again that she’s one of the most brilliant living actresses and giving a tour-de-force performance that will stay in memories for years to come. Her eyes and facial expression alone say more than hundreds of words could. Renner and Whitaker, both did well in supporting the main character, giving understated but strong performances.
A lot of the success can be attributed to its director, Denis Villeneuve, known for Prisoners and Sicario. Villeneuve who is known for his original artistic visions made the entire cast and crew learning a special language that was later used as a way of communicating with aliens. Every creating risk and process that he took with this film paid off, from taking an incredibly emotional approach to smart directing choices, he made a different, almost surreal movie.
Despite using a certain number of well-known tricks, Arrival is a fresh and unique take on aliens in Hollywood movies that will stay in viewers memory years after the initial watch. It also has the potential to become a huge classic, being one of the greatest contributions to its genre. It is a masterpiece created mostly for demanding viewers; expecting more on the big screen than fireworks. Arrival ended up grossing over $200M dollars worldwide and being one of the most awarded movies of 2016.
5/5
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