'Why Are They Here?'

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2016)

This is a sensational Sci-Fi. It really touches upon some of our most crucial thoughts and questions as a species that have not been explored in these ways before on the big screen.
Right from the very beginning there appears to be some sort of visit from a much higher intelligent life form. They appear in pods or 'shells' spread across the globe that do not use any kinds of energy that we are aware of. Of course the military get involved and the United Nations are deciding how to respond to these 'visitors'. This is where Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams) comes in, as an expert linguist she is sent in to the Shell that has settled in Montana which has a different frequency of gravity to Earth, once inside she attempts to communicate with the extraterrestrial life forms who appear and eventually they communicate back, they use very unique circular complex symbols to write on a transparent wall that separates the humans from the aliens. This barrier symbolises not only the difference between the beings in this situation but also the language barrier for a struggle to connect. But Dr Banks breaks this down and it is her journey into this break down that really drives the plot further.
I really enjoyed this film because it portrays these higher life forms in a way that not many other films do at all. They have arrived not invaded, they are not simply attacking us, they have reached our home and are here to help and be helped, which I actually found very convincing, it also took away this senseless need of ours for action in fiction, it was not explosive it was speculative and I think that is much more creative.
What was also touched upon in this film which was very curious was the perception of time from the alien's point of view, because they do not interpret time in a linear format like the way we do, and after Dr Bank's connection with these beings she too opens up this ability within her and this has a deep effect on the story making it very emotional and ever so fascinating to have a glimpse of their perception of time. It was all intelligently put together by a human being's touch.
Amy Adams delivers again another fantastic performance along with Jeremy Renner & Forest Whitaker that really glue this groundbreaking sci-fi drama together.