A lot of people have asked me what the best movie of 2016 has been so far. It has been a bit of a struggle because I’ve seen some very good films but none of them have exactly stuck with me long after they were over. This is really a first for me because by this point I usually have at least one film that stands out before we head into Oscar season.
When someone approaches me with this question now I can wholeheartedly say that Arrival is the best film of the year so far and also the first perfect film of the year. There isn’t a single moment that rings false and from start to finish, the film commands your attention. Whether it’s through the use of a compelling score by Johann Johannsson or the masterful direction from Denis Villeneuve, Arrival draws you in and never lets go. The fact that I continue to think about the film days after seeing it speaks volumes of its cinematic power.
The scenario that makes up the bulk of the story in Arrival has been told many times before. The prospect of extraterrestrial life has intrigued many storytellers and their arrival has been explored in many different ways. Hollywood tends to offer up the gloom and doom approach to their contact with Earth with images of mass destruction (think Independence Day). Arrival has more in common with Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. That film suggests that aliens don’t want to come here to destroy us. Perhaps they are here to learn from us and also share their knowledge to better our existence. It’s pretty rare that this approach graces our screens because Hollywood seems to think that audiences won’t spend the money on a more cerebral experience. We do live in a world where mindless explosions sell, but I’m happy to see they haven’t given up on telling stories that make you think. Arrival is intriguing without the pyrotechnics that normally accompanies the genre. The way it stimulates the mind is far more satisfying than any use of excessive CGI could ever be.
The aliens arrive not long after the movie begins. Their oblong shaped ships hover just above the ground at twelve seemingly random locations around the globe. No one knows whether they come in peace because communication has been virtually impossible. Although they allow people to board their ships and let humans see their seven-legged forms, the language of each species is unknown to the other. So, although the aliens show no hostile intentions, a race as naturally suspicious and warlike as ours can’t help but plan for the worst case scenario.
Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is a world-renowned professor of linguistics with a tragic past. As she wanders around her beautiful house overlooking a lake, a sense of loneliness sets in as she remembers the teenage daughter she lost to cancer. This experience has shaped her life, making her reserved and a bit caught off from others. The government, in the form of Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker), comes calling needing her help. They invite her to join a first contact team and paired with physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), she boards the alien ship and begins the laborious process of deciphering the basics of the alien language.
It’s difficult to fully review Arrival because the less you know going in, the better. It would spoil the journey if even a hint of its revelations were revealed. There is more to the film than what’s on the surface but the central theme of communication does hit home. It isn’t just about communicating with alien life and figuring out their intentions, it’s also about human communication and the innate difficulty that some of us have with it. The film speaks volumes about intra-species communication as nationalistic and xenophobic impulses create cracks in information-sharing. Arrival’s narrative even segues beyond this point but the real magic lies in this particular reveal and it’s best to experience it for yourself. I will say that the build up is simply perfect and it leads to a final five minutes that is a sublime combination of direction, writing, and acting. It really is the perfect storm moment of the film and you feel honored that you got to this point along with the characters.
It’s crazy to think that Amy Adams has received five Oscar nominations over a career that has spanned about 17 years. She usually shines as a supporting player, usually stealing scenes from the leads. Whether it’s Charlene Fleming in The Fighter, or Sydney Prosser in American Hustle, Adams knows how to command the screen. I know she has been the lead in a few films before, but Arrival is further proof why she should be more often. This is actually a pretty psychologically complex performance because a lot of her story is revealed, even to her, as the film progresses. Adams has to react to these revelations appropriately and she never misses a beat. I also liked that she presented some of the flaws in the character as well. She is strong and independent but her hands tremble and her breathing becomes heavy as the moment of truth approaches. I would find it odd if this didn’t lead to her sixth Oscar nomination as this is the best female performance I’ve seen so far this year. Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker offer solid support but even Renner has said that his job was to back Adams up. This is her movie but they offer a reliable and welcomed presence.
The movies that approach this concept with sophistication are indeed pretty rare. I mentioned Close Encounters of the Third Kind but you can also look to The Abyss, Contact, and Interstellar. That means that director Denis Villeneuve is in the company of Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Robert Zemeckis and Christopher Nolan. That isn’t a bad group to be in especially when you realize that this is only his fourth major film release. This film is a distinct change of pace from his previous efforts like Prisoners and Sicario but his strong visual style seems to be universal for all of his movies. I remember thinking that Prisoners had a very strong visual palette that added to the emotion and intensity of that film. The same can be said of his work here and on top of that, the film is perfectly paced and structured. It would be a crime if he didn’t receive a directing Oscar nomination because his sure hand is the main reason Arrival works as well as it does. Also worthy of acclaim is screenwriter Eric Heisserer, who is adapting Ted Chiang’s Nebula Award-winning 1998 short story. The script is full of a few special moments that really hit home, particularly during the final act of the film. He’s also worthy of an adapted screenplay Oscar nomination.
We really don’t see serious science fiction like this as much as we should. The movie’s opening presents a credible scenario for first contact, not only in the way the aliens approach us but in the way the world reacts to them. The international cooperation seems refreshing, albeit a bit unrealistic at first, but it’s littered with mistrust and parochial interests. Communication with the aliens provides a puzzle that needs solving but, as she gets closer to the truth, Louise is forced to look within herself for a lot of the answers. Why are the heptapods here? What do they want? The mysteries in Arrival run deeper than is initially apparent and that’s the true joy of the film.
Arrival doesn’t end with big speeches or the human race bringing down the alien ships in a barrage of violence. The end result is much more satisfying than that and while at its core the film is about communication between our race and theirs, what the film has to say about the human experience is what carries the film.
It’s a beautiful piece of filmmaking and without a doubt the most powerful film of the year so far.
Reel Talk gives Arrival 4 Reels
