Richie’s Review: Arrival

Denis Villeneuve, the director of “Arrival”, has made another thriller that revolves around aliens. The movie stars Amy Adams playing as Dr. Louise Banks, Jeremy Renner as Ian Donnelly and Forest Whitaker as Colonel Webber. The film circles around the situation of extraterrestrial beings surprisingly appearing at numerous locations around the world. Once they arrive, Colonel Webber searches for Dr. Louise Banks because she has been known as a language and translating expert. So, it’s all left to Dr. Louise Banks and Ian Donnelly to learn and understand the alien’s language, then to find out their purpose and intentions.

“Arrival” has a great quantity of things that I undoubtedly enjoyed. One of those things that I genuinely appreciate was the inventive story portrayed on the screen. For a while I have not seen a film so different and unusual while it’s simultaneously serious/intellectual. When the main characters enter the “U.F.O”, it’s almost jaw-dropping how realistic and creative they approach the entrance. Once they entered about one-hundred feet inside, the center of gravity changes. They jump from the platform lift, onto the wall/ground of the “U.F.O”. This is just a minor example of something fresh in a sci-fi movie.

Another thing I enjoyed was the strange appearance of the aliens. Throughout the history of cinema there has been countless versions of what people imagine aliens to look like. “Arrival” has yet again changed the image of aliens in a totally unorthodox and fresh way. The “Heptapods” are astonishing to look and listen to, with their hovering squid bodies making you wonder what aliens really look like. The way that they speak sonically and visually is so out of the ordinary, it leaves you just as confused as Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams).

All in all, I was a huge fan of this soon to be sci-fi classic. It didn’t need violence or cursing to make it an intriguing movie, either. The story and themes explored are interesting, the acting is full of first-rate performances, and the direction by Denis Villeneuve is top-notch. I would suggest watching “Arrival” if you are a fan of aliens and realistic fiction, to all ages.