Arrival is a nice departure

Rating: Null/10 (13 November 2016)

"Arrival" is a departure from mindless sci-fi summer action films. Inspired by science fiction writer Ted Chiang's short story "Story of Your Life," this film is an intelligent take on how the Earth would handle first contact if 12 alien vessels appeared around the world.
This is the first film I have seen from director Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies"; "Prisoners"; "Sicario"), and what I can say after watching "Arrival" is that he is a solid director. He has the confidence to pace a film slowly at first, and then build intensity as the material progresses. He also has a good eye for shots and working with cinematographer Bradford Young ("Selma"; "Pawn Sacrifice"). And, he is one of those directors that allows actors to portray intelligent characters with quiet voices, and allows the impact of their ideas to turn up the volume.
Mr. Villeneuve is ably assisted by Amy Adams ("American Hustle"; "Enchanted") who turns in a fantastic performance as Dr. Luise Banks, a linguist that is tasked with communicating with the alien visitors. It is a layered performance, where Ms. Adam's speaks with a dull affect and fierce intellect. Her emotions are not worn on her sleeve, and we see her communicate through the intensity of her eyes and her breathing.
Jeremy Renner ("Hurt Locker"; "American Hustle"; "The Town") lends a quiet, steady supporting performance, as theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly, who is the more tender character of the two scientists who lead teams to determine the intent of the aliens. Mr. Renner and Ms. Adams work well together.
The last person I want to note is writer Eric Heisserer, who adapted Mr. Chiang's short story into a feature length film. Based on his previous work, "The Thing"; "Final Destination 5"; "Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)," I would not have guessed he could pen such a subtle film, which proves he is a true writer, one who can avoid the dictates of modern attention spans.
After a summer of mindless entertainment, I found "Arrival" to be strong film, and a nice reminder that you don't have to dumb down entertainment to be successful, unlike running for President of the United States.