Five-Word Review: Intriguing, Well-acted, Thought-provoking: Solid Sci-fi

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2016)

When aliens come to earth, what is to be done? Take a diplomatic and intelligent approach to it, that's what. No Emmerich-style bombast or global war, just top linguist Amy Adams and genius scientist Jeremy Renner helping the government figure out why they have arrived on earth. And this is what this film does best.
In offering a fresh perspective on sci-fi, Arrival allows for a truly intriguing film which has the unusual distinction of feeling very original. The diplomacy and tentative contact between the aliens and the Adams/Renner combination of genii is the best thing in the film, and the best scenes all come when the pair are attempting to communicate, and decipher the aliens' own language.
The acting from these two, especially Adams, is superb, allowing for a real emotional connection and investment in the characters. Overall it's a solid effort from Denis Vileneuve, better than 'Prisoners' though not as good as 'Sicario'. It is perhaps not quite as good as some of the furore may suggest, and the final third loses some focus and credibility, but it is still one of the best and most intelligent sci-fis in recent years, and definitely worth watching. 82/100.