Story of Our Time

Rating: 9/10 (26 November 2016)

Arrival, as the name would suggest, is not about the aliens, but it is the story of a linguist who corresponds with the extraterrestrials. It is adapted from Ted Chiang's novella called 'Story of your Life', which could have been an apt name for the Film, but it sure would not have aroused as much interest as the name 'Arrival' would. What is considered a 'generic plot' in all the alien invasion films is nothing more than a background in Arrival, and in the foreground, we envision the struggles of the Human Psyche. This is where Arrival stands out with the very best films that came out of the Sci-Fi genre. Like in all the other great Sci-Fi Films, the science in Arrival is only used as a means to convey the philosophical underline.
Denis Villeneuve is a trademark for psychological thrillers, and in this film, he doesn't shy away from his comfort zone, but rather embraces it and uses it to the film's advantage. Eric Heisserer's adaptation would not have been executed as well as it did in any other hands. The story structure is rather too complex and adds an air of mystery and thrill around what is rather a dramatic story. The Cinematography, music, acting and all other aspects which we consider in judging a film are all accounted for, and your final verdict would most probably be that it is a great film, that it is one the best films of the year, or the decade, or perhaps even of all time.
But all those aspects as are not as important with Arrival as they are with many other films. Arrival is one of this rarest films where one single aspect of the film triumphs over all others. Here, it is the story. The story of Arrival is as captivating as it is thoughtful. You will think about this film long after it is over; you will think about what you saw, about what it meant, and above all about how beautiful its meaning was. The philosophical underline will captivate you. It speaks to you about time, free will, and the inevitability of the future. And you won't be able to help but wonder about how beautiful all of it was.
Arrival is a Sci-Fi film which offers a lot more profundity and thoughtfulness than any other Sci-Fi films in the recent times. This is one among the giants of Sci-Fi.