Marvellous movie

Rating: 9/10 (16 January 2017)

Arrival might be the best work by Denis Villenueve (Sicario, Incendies, Prisoners) and the smartest piece of sci-fi since Alfonso Cuaron's 2013 film Gravity. Based on a short story "Story of My Life" by Ted Chiang, the film's an introspective piece of work which'll not only get the viewers talking about it but will also get their emotions reeling. It's so unlike any sci-fi movie ever done before as it sheds the weight of war and thrill and focuses purely on inability to communicate properly with the extraterrestrial and one's perception.
Unlike some of the previous works by Villenueve, Arrival reflects on the better side of humanity by interplaying the relationships between the two species. Yet it's still full of mystery and marvel as the intentions are truly left unclear until the end. The flashes of scenes is brilliantly edited in the present context of the movie, and makes the screenplay very emotive and reflective. It compounds views on what one's actions can lead to. The smartest decision by Villenueve might be the trade off between heavy reliance on special effects and focus on emotions and perception. This not only propels the message behind the screenplay, but the subtle effects also complements the ambiance.
The cinematography is simply beautiful. And if the movie does not get an Academy award nomination (or a win) for it, I shall forever resent them. It's beautifully done and features references to classics like 2001: The Space Odyssey and the Day the Earth Stood Still. The score only aims to complement the movie more. The art direction is greatly done as well, as the empty vast space inside the supposed shuttle only goes on to elevate the mystery of the movie even more.
But the true hero of the movie's not the brilliant screenplay nor the cinematography but it's Amy Adams. The movie quintessentially work on the basis of her performance. Adams sheds her usual demeanor for a very subdued performance here and it simply works wonder. Playing a linguist tasked with deciphering the ambiguous language from scratch while fighting her own fears. She's phenomenal here, her body language, her countenance, it only makes the movie more compelling than it already is. I would go so far as to exclaim it the best performance she has given since Doubt.
The movie's not without its flaws though, running at a length of about 120 minutes the screenplay can get lax by the end. Whitaker, who's a wonderful actor is entirely wasted here as his character falls behind the scene for a big length of the time. Renner fails to contribute anything to the movie as well and could've been easily swapped out by anyone and it wouldn't matter.
Anyway, the movie's an intellectual piece of work, which will not only work your emotions but also get you thinking, carried by a brilliant performance by Adams and marvelous technical work, Arrival's a must watch for not just sci-fi fans but any moviegoer. 9/10