Arrival (2016) ****1/2
Arrival (2016) is one of those rare films that, without the need for extraneous backstory, unnecessary character development or oversimplified exposition, still manages to tell a beautiful and engaging story. It also holds up extremely well on rewatches (this was my third viewing).
Denis Villeneuve's Malickesque film is a bit like a spiritual sequel to Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977) (my review here) with more melodrama. Twists can make or break a film—especially one where the whole purpose of the film's being hinges on it—but the one in Arrival smartly eschews that all too common issue by not being too clever, which proves rewarding on revisits.
The central performance is really key to a film like this, where so much depends on the main character's actions and reactions. Amy Adams does an exceptional job, giving a performance grounded in reality in a science fiction film.
Jóhann Jóhannsson's unusual minimalist score elicits so many varied emotions—watching the film for the first time since his death only serves to remind that he was an immense talent gone too soon. In addition, the use of Max Richter's "On The Nature Of Daylight" (one of the most achingly beautiful and melancholic songs ever written) in the opening and closing sequences meshes perfectly with the visuals.
Speaking of, one of my only minor complaints about Arrival is the cinematography. While I do think the compositions of the shots are all excellent, I have never been a fan of how dark and drab the film is as a whole. Bradford Young did good work—I just wish he hadn't gone so extreme in the direction that he did and I can't help wondering what the film would have looked like had Roger Deakins (who has shot three of Villeneuve's films) shot it. Another complaint—Forest Whitaker is not good with accents. It didn't seem to bother me as much the first two viewings, but after having seen this film again and Rogue One (2016) (my Take 2 review here) twice now, his performances in both really distract from the viewing experience (thankfully though his screen time in RO was minimal and he is better in Arrival).
You can find my Denis Villeneuve Feature Films Ranked list here.
Denis Villeneuve's Malickesque film is a bit like a spiritual sequel to Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977) (my review here) with more melodrama. Twists can make or break a film—especially one where the whole purpose of the film's being hinges on it—but the one in Arrival smartly eschews that all too common issue by not being too clever, which proves rewarding on revisits.
The central performance is really key to a film like this, where so much depends on the main character's actions and reactions. Amy Adams does an exceptional job, giving a performance grounded in reality in a science fiction film.
Jóhann Jóhannsson's unusual minimalist score elicits so many varied emotions—watching the film for the first time since his death only serves to remind that he was an immense talent gone too soon. In addition, the use of Max Richter's "On The Nature Of Daylight" (one of the most achingly beautiful and melancholic songs ever written) in the opening and closing sequences meshes perfectly with the visuals.
Speaking of, one of my only minor complaints about Arrival is the cinematography. While I do think the compositions of the shots are all excellent, I have never been a fan of how dark and drab the film is as a whole. Bradford Young did good work—I just wish he hadn't gone so extreme in the direction that he did and I can't help wondering what the film would have looked like had Roger Deakins (who has shot three of Villeneuve's films) shot it. Another complaint—Forest Whitaker is not good with accents. It didn't seem to bother me as much the first two viewings, but after having seen this film again and Rogue One (2016) (my Take 2 review here) twice now, his performances in both really distract from the viewing experience (thankfully though his screen time in RO was minimal and he is better in Arrival).
You can find my Denis Villeneuve Feature Films Ranked list here.
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