Close Encounters

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2016)

Haunted by memories of a deceased teenage daughter, a lonely linguist agrees to assist in communicating with an extraterrestrial species in this first contact sci-fi outing from Denis Villeneuve. The film looks, sounds and feels like Villeneuve's earlier 'Sicario' with aerial shots that bask in lush landscapes, another perfectly brooding Jóhann Jóhannsson music score and yet another plot about a young woman out of her depth. The action content here is negligible though, which renders 'Arrival' refreshingly different from most other first contact movies as the film focuses on credible barriers with alien communication. The big question is whether the aliens are hostile or peaceful since it is impossible to understand them. The communication theme is not limited to the aliens though; with spaceships landing in twelve places around the world, issues arise from various countries being unwilling to share information. Much like 'Under the Skin', the film also highlights humankind's tendency to always react violently to what we do not understand, but there is actually a positive tone overall. The film has some pacing issues though. The conclusion is overly drawn out (with at least a couple of false endings) and the final few scenes only serve to blatantly spell out plot twists and turns that did not need to be explicitly stated. The scenes of various young military personnel having their doubts also distract from the protagonist's journey. Whatever the case, Amy Adams is solid in the lead role. Villeneuve lets his camera focus on her trembling hands as well as her face, allowing her to give a true full body performance. Strong support also comes from Forest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner even if it sometimes feels like they could have been given more to do.