astonishing; enlightening

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 2017)

This was the first time I felt tears flow from my eyes while watching a film in response to a shocking revelation. Normally, you know, the tears come at a sad scene, or a particularly uplifting and gratifying scene; this film, by the stars above and fires below, ARRIVAL, completely blew me away. It puts even Interstellar to shame. I'm left with a vague feeling of astonishment that is strangely coupled with a sensation of enlightenment. For not only did ARRIVAL storm my mind like the tornado that whisked Dorothy away, but ARRIVAL also taught me some things about linguistics, temporality, international relations, and the importance of one's own child and the special moments that you, as a parent, spend with him or her.
The essence to all mediums of art - whether film, anime, literature, etc. - is to further our understanding of what makes us human. This is what defines us, what distinguishes us from the lesser animal. ARRIVAL is a story involving aliens. I've seen/read quite a few stories with aliens - but ARRIVAL trumps them all in terms of, simply, its call to humanity. It is a very realistic film; the chaos that ensues after the 12 UFOs suddenly appear throughout the globe is probably what will happen if a similar event occurs in our own world. What should happen if two sentient races of such disparity happen to meet? The first step is communication. ARRIVAL is a story of humans' attempt to communicate with, and ultimately understand, some aliens.