"Encounters . .. " and "The Day The Earth Stood Still" on Steroids

Rating: 9/10 (17 November 2016)

While good movies entertain and lift the spirit, this one does much more: It memorizes.
This fabulously intriguing plot is slowly revealed in two chronologies, one told/acted-out in real-time, the other by way of flashes of visions our protagonist begins to have after having contact with the newly arrived aliens she has been summoned by the government to try to communicate with. It's cleverly left up to the viewer to stay engaged and slowly make sense of it all.
The alien creatures and their method of communicating is exquisitely conceived and visually portrayed, as is their own alien "humanity."
The portrayal of how various world leaders react to the alien arrival, and how these leaders interact with each other is a sadly accurate commentary, as were the scenes of the media riff-raff stirring up angry and violent sentiment.
One point deduction: The too oft repeated mother daughter scenes were gratuitously sappy, were an unnecessary distraction, and didn't add value to the story.
One of the very few movies that earns/begs a repeat viewing for full comprehension.
A masterpiece? Perhaps.