good not great

Rating: 7/10 (27 February 2017)

I was pretty turned off on this movie right out of the gate. It starts like a student film. With a really amateurish juxtaposition of someone 'saying' their emotions. If you have ever been to a student film fest you know what I mean. It was only missing a segment of sloppily putting makeup on to really nail that vibe. Then it gets better, mostly because Forest Whitaker shows up. Amy Adams does her usual great job. As does Jeremy Renner. And the story itself is very good. However the execution was just so gosh dang twee and precious. If you take away the foreboding alien ship and its occupants you have a pile of breathy flashbacks and washed out visuals. Don't get me wrong, I am not expecting every sci-fi film to be Rogue One. However the great core ideas of this story are underutilized. While this could have been a fascinating movie, it is instead boring. I could take the slow pace and precious presentation, if there was something in the way of character development. But beyond Amy Adams character everyone else are just cardboard cutouts that provide utilitarian roles. Even Renner and Whitaker. Maybe in 10-15 years someone will remake this into a decent film?
I wonder if the director likes science fiction at all, or is just under contract.