Amy Adams is Near Perfection in "Arrival", Easily the Best Sci-Fi Movie of the Year

   

   From  Denis Villeneuve, the director of Prisoners and Sicario, comes one of the most exceptional science-fiction films of the year with Arrival. I feel like sometimes I am stuck on a merry-go-round when discussing the originality of films these days, stating the lack thereof over and over and over again. There have been some really great and enjoyable movies this year, both good and bad, both original and not; if 2016 had anything to say about it, it would be that originality is only few and far between the mammoth assembly line blockbusters that we've come to expect. It's like double western bacon cheeseburgers from Carl's Jr. I freaking love those things. They have all the ingredients of an extremely tasty burger: beef, cheese, onion rings, bacon, all smothered in barbecue sauce. I could easily eat those all the time. But, every now and then I just want a 12 oz. cut of prime rib. Within a year stocked with double western bacon cheeseburgers, Arrival is in every way that prime rib.

   Let me just start by saying that this movie first surprised me with its overall tone. Arrival is the story of renowned linguist Dr. Louise Banks (played brilliantly by Amy Adams) who is  recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications. At twelve random spots scattered throughout the world, giant floating egg-like ships have appeared with no reason, other than to open their doors every 18 hours to allow the native human species to enter and try to communicate with them. This movie is not Independence Day. It is not the typical alien invasion movie we're used to, played out in a grand spectacle of CGI action. There is almost zero moments of action in this film, because it isn't an action movie. It almost isn't an alien invasion movie. Arrival is a suspenseful drama that serves as a truly unique and inspiring character study, set on the backdrop of a global alien encounter. This movie is a slow burn that I think a lot of people might be turned off by. If you were expecting a high-action alien flick, this isn't it.

   Trying to find the right words to say without spoiling things or even to attempt to sound somewhat cohesive is difficult. This movie has the ingredients to warrant its exceptional nature: a great cast, great director, and great script. Amy Adams is the stand out for sure. I tend to think that people seem to dismiss her a bit. She has been nominated a couple of times for various awards, and it feels like she gets better with every film she does. She displays such raw emotion and carries the weight of this truly remarkable story flawlessly. The movie really rides on her and she delivers in spades. Her supporting cast, primarily Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker are great in their perspective roles, but ultimately get overshadowed by Adams' near-perfect performance. I honestly believe she could be nominated and win an Oscar for her wotk in this film.

    Director Denis Villeneuve's filmography is small, but extremely impressive. With both Prisoners and Sicario, he has shown his ability to deliver extreme levels of tension with his narratives. With Prisoners he places you in the emotional despair of the lead character where you feel for and with him all throughout. In Sicario he pulls you in, placing you in the world, leaving you literally at the edge of your seat. He does the same thing here with Arrival, where the audience is right there with Dr. Banks at every moment. The man also knows how to use a camera, I mean good golly! There are some truly beautiful scenes in the film, particularly the first time we see the alien ship and the camp full of military leaders and scientist just yards away. The fluid motion both encompasses you as an audience member while opening up the vastness of the moment; over the rolling hills caked with fog, slowly rising towards the alien ship and ending on the camp, I was in awe of the whole thing. It's moments like these that make you really appreciate the medium of film. When a film maker takes the time to put the audience into the story, instead of just allowing bright and loud spectacle to do the work, it makes for a more rich and rewarding experience as a viewer. This movie is as cinematic as it can get, and Villeneuve is one to keep watching.

   The script and story of Arrival takes a truly tired premise and injects it with new vigor, making it extremely thought-provoking and emotionally moving. The concept of the aliens is really bizarre and yet equally interesting. Though a major part of the film, they play second fiddle to a much larger aspect. Where Arrival's true splendor lies is in the quality of balance between the main and sub-plots. There is a narrative style that is really fun and engaging. The build up of both plot lines are inter-weaved with such finesse and beauty that you'll be scratching your head one second and then collecting the pieces of your blown mind the next. As mentioned earlier, this movie is extremely slow. There is a creeping sense of tension that builds towards the last half hour or so when it explodes into a sense of narrative euphoria. Christopher Nolan's Interstellar attempted this same type of feeling but fell just short. The thing about Villeneuve's films that I've noticed, and Arrival is the same way, is that he presents the audience with a scenario, lets the story unfold, and then in the third act he re-contextualizes the entire narrative by giving you one little piece of information. I think this is brilliant story-telling and my guess is that this movie will raise questions and will get people talking, which would be fantastic.

   Arrival is easily one of my top five favorite films of 2016. It is by far the best sci-fi film of the year, and probably the best sci-fi film in quite some time. Across the board this movie delivers the goods, without resorting to the use of spectacle for its entertainment value. This movie was not at all what I had expected, and it surpassed my expectations tremendously, which I am so thankful for. This movie is quality film-making at its best and I cannot stress the need to go see it enough. Is it a perfect movie? Almost. My only gripes with the film are minuscule at best and did not take away from my overall experience. I felt Renner's character was a bit underutilized, and I wanted the third act to be just a smidge longer than it was, but that's it. Seriously though, go see this movie. I mean it. It's an experience well worth your dollar.