First Contact meets The Sphere, via Melancholia?

Rating: 8/10 (14 November 2016)

This is one of those films that will clearly divide people into two categories, the ones that love it and the ones that.. err.. meh it? I, unfortunately, fall into the second category. It was a beautifully crafted movie, with great acting, yet it made me feel almost nothing and I left the theater without learning anything new.
So is it a waste of time? Certainly not. Amy Adams does a great job of portraying the aloof linguist that is called to communicate with aliens and the visual design of the film is quite pleasing. The gimmick is also interesting, and I am not going to spoil it here.
The problem is that the film is based on a short story and it shows. Other than the mood and the acting and the gimmick there is nothing else but empty atmospheric space. Reminded me of Melancholia that way, another movie that I absolutely hated but many said was wonderful.
So, bottom line: clearly better than average, but is it a masterpiece and the best film of the year? Err.. no. Also, I have it on good authority that the short story is less confusing and more fluent than the movie, which is strange, considering it is short.