“There are days that define your story beyond your life,” says the redheaded heroine. ‘Arrival’ is the ambitious and moving new sci-fi drama from filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners). Why does this alien thriller succeed at reaching for the stars when movies like ‘Independence Day’ crash and burn? Villeneuve takes a trustworthy genre and gives it nuances to make it appear fresh again. Everything flows together as one perfect vision from the cinematography, the acting and the musical score. There is another element that makes this extraterrestrial thriller stand out from the pack. It’s an intelligent film that treats the audience with respect. Brace yourself for one of the best science fiction adventures to grace the screen in light years.
For those familiar with Villeneuve’s work, he is a master craftsman when it comes to the all-important set up. This builds suspense for the audience. The film brilliantly deals with central themes of the importance of language, human relationships, love and loss. The story wastes no time introducing us to Dr. Louis Banks (Amy Adams), a divorced linguistic professor who suffers an unthinkable loss. The story opens with Louise getting ready to teach a class at a university. Suddenly, cell phones begin to vibrate and ping throughout the lecture hall. The students ask her to turn on the big screen television. The breaking news is that 12 unidentified flying objects have landed around the world. The dark objects look like giant oblong eggs.
As the world watches the objects in fear, world governments try to figure out why they are here. Louise gets a visit by Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) who wants to recruit her as a linguistic expert to attempt to communicate with the aliens. She travels to Montana where one of the egg-shaped monoliths has landed. She meets another team member named Ian (Jeremy Renner), a quantum physicist with an inquiring mind. Before they even have a chance to catch their breath, the Colonel tells them to suit up so they can enter the spacecraft and make contact with the creatures. It turns out a hatch opens up once every 18 hours. This allows the team to set up their research equipment in a staging area that is a thick glass barrier. The question government officials want Louise to ask the aliens is “What is your purpose on Earth?”
This is where the film genuinely takes off. Louise realizes that it is impossible to start off with such a complex question without getting to know the aliens first. Her introduction is mind-blowing. These are not your stereotypical extraterrestrials with big eyes and laser guns. Physically describing these majestic creatures in detail would spoil it for you. They are referred to as “heptapods” by the scientists. When Louise sees them for the first time, it is an impressive close encounter. When they raise their tentacles, they emit a black mist that forms into Rorschach-like symbols. It’s amazing to watch her gain the trust of the aliens nicknamed “Abbott and Costello.” As she makes progress deciphering their language, the U.S. military is looking for quick answers to determine if they are a threat to civilization. There is also growing pressure from China and Russia to take action.
The way that we communicate as humans is a fascinating concept in the film. Louise encounters a strange, new culture vastly different from our own. It’s not an easy task to understand how these aliens communicate. She has to go through a radical shift in her thinking and emotions to have a chance at cracking their language. Not only is she having trouble understanding them but there is a huge breakdown of communication between the international teams. ‘Arrival’ makes us see how important it is for us to not only communicate with each other but also to empathize with our cultural differences if we are to have a chance at surviving as a human race. Language is not just about understanding words but is a way to get at someone’s true intentions. The film makes a strong case for using communication rather than war to solve our conflicts in the world.
Adams gives a subdued, heartfelt performance. Instead of a gun, she uses a whiteboard as a weapon to connect with the aliens. It’s a big responsibility for her character that has the fate of the world resting on her ability to communicate with them. ‘Arrival’ does not make us reach for the stars for answers but rather to find meaning deep within ourselves. It is a remarkable film and the best sci-fi drama of the year.
