Thoughtful and moving

Rating: 8/10 (20 February 2017)

Arrival is a thought-provoking science fiction movie. The plot revolves around alien ships that look like eggs that appear over 12 countries and open themselves for interaction with each country. Amy Adams is the linguistic professor who teams up with a physicist played by Jeremy Renner to try to communicate with the ship that hovers over America.
The Director Villeneuve builds tension using pressure between the countries, each trying to break through and find out why the aliens are here. There are very clever usages of time-like flashbacks that give some clues, but what does it mean? There was excellent chemistry between Adams and Renner. Forest Whitaker plays the Colonel in charge and he does an OK job.
The most interesting part is how each race learns to communicate with each other. The scenes inside the egg ship are really well done from a CGI and story viewpoint.
This movie will keep you guessing until the end, and even then, you might be left wondering if you got everything. And if you like those kinds of movies, this one will touch you deeply from the human standpoint. Director Villeneuve also made Enemy and Prisoners - I recommend both highly. I also recommend Arrival as an excellent example of a movie where plot and acting skills are so key to the success and your experience. Enjoy Arrival!