Arrival
Movie Review
Movie Summary:
A mysterious unidentified object has landed in twelve different areas on Earth. Governments from around the world tries to communicate and understand what these “Aliens,” are here for. Amy Adam’s character, Louise Banks, is a linguist who was recruited by US Col Webster (Forest Whitaker), along with Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) – a physicist, to understand the purpose of the extraterrestrial visitors.
Review:
I will try my best not to give away as much details as possible. Director Villenueve has yet again, presented us a stunning work of art. I adore this movie, it’s flawless acting combined with an unpredictable plot twist makes this movie moving and unforgettable. I love sci-fi and the mystery that surrounds a particular story, the Arrival is not short of mystery at all.
The movie takes us to a different journey to what we’re usually used to seeing from plots surrounding the arrival of extraterrestrial beings. Louise Banks, as a linguist, believes that in order to understand foreign visitors, they first need to be taught our language. She tries to communicate with them through visual aids, using a white board and a pen. She instantly get a reply, but in a form of writing they don’t understand. Eventually, with the help of her team and Ian, she made progress to the point that she is able to understand their responses and even read them. In the end, they found out that the purpose of their arrival on Earth is to give humans a gift.
There is a major plot that I did not reveal in the above summary, simply because it will give away the mystery. This story takes a different approach, in a sense that it humanizes these aliens. And, also, the scenario is much more realistic. The government tries diplomatic approach to reach out to these aliens, which is the most likely the scenario should there ever be an “arrival.”
I also very impressed with how the character of Louise Banks was built. All throughout, you have preconceived notion that Louise Banks is the way she is because of her past. But in this movie, what you see is not really what it seems.
All I can say is, I love this movie. It was touching, realistic (in a way) and mysterious. A perfect recipe for a good movie.
Final Rating: 5/5
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94%
Tales & Trails 