Jeremy Renner plays a theoretical physicist in Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival. (Courtesy of Flickr)
By Greg Mysogland
It is very rare for a film to simultaneously be highly innovative and emotionally impactful, while conveying important messages with real-world significance. Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is one of the rare films to meet all three descriptions. Arrival offers biting social commentary on mankind’s potential (or lack thereof) to work together, an extremely creative narrative structure and a truly moving family drama anchored by a moving performance from star Amy Adams.
Arrival, based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, follows Louise Banks (Adams), a linguistics professor who is recruited to translate between the American government and two aliens who have touched down in Montana. The aliens’ craft is one of 12 that have arrived in different locations across the globe. U.S. Army Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) partners Banks with Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), a theoretical physicist, in the hopes that the pair will be able to discover how to communicate with the aliens and determine their purpose on Earth. What follows is a unique vision of a common film premise that focuses on communications and international disagreements, rather than the massive action set pieces common in most movies about aliens.
Arrival is a fantastic film all around, but its greatest elements are its script and Adams’ performance. There are essentially two intersecting stories in Arrival: the world’s reaction to the titular alien arrival and the personal story of Louise Banks, who is dealing with emotional family issues while also struggling to understand the aliens. Screenwriter Eric Heiserrer tells both stories with immense depth, and the film’s shocking final plot twist brings the two together in a truly awe-inspiring way. Adams’ performance is phenomenal, providing Louise with a foundational personality of spunk and intelligence. The emotional rollercoaster that Louise goes on in the latter half of the film allows Adams to truly shine, portraying love and heartbreak immaculately. In short, Arrival certainly deserves Academy Award nominations for both Lead Actress and Adapted Screenplay.
It would be unthinkable to discuss the film without praising Villeneuve. The French-Canadian filmmaker takes a commendably modest directorial approach, mostly allowing Heiserrer’s screenplay and the film’s talented actors to tell the story, rather than attempting to dazzle the audience with creative shot composition. However, there is a sequence with altered gravity that serves as a reminder of Villeneuve’s visual skill.
Among the remaining aspects of the film, the most praiseworthy are Jeremy Renner’s performance and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score. Jóhannsson’s work is a perfect atmospheric match to the rest of the film, giving the encounters with the aliens a suitable feeling of wonder and apprehension while scenes involving Banks’ family are accompanied by suitably tragic melodies. Renner proves to be the perfect companion for Adams, depicting a charmingly nerdy enthusiasm for his character’s task, with Donnelly being the most likeable character in the film.
Ultimately, Arrival is one of the year’s best films. It is a must see both for fans of intelligent science fiction and anyone who enjoys highly creative and emotional filmmaking.
