translation makes for a great movie

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2016)

I first learned of Denis Villeneuve when his Academy Award-nominated "Incendies" got released. He's directed some movies since then, but now he brings one of the most impressive movies. Although advertised as a science fiction movie, "Arrival" emphasizes language issues. Amy Adams's linguist gets hired to communicate with the extraterrestrial beings, and in the process breaks down their language. She notes that a person's native language influences how he/she thinks, and we soon learn that the aliens' language is unlike any recorded language.
Overall, the movie addresses our relationships with each other and with other species, as well as our place in the universe. But the language issues are the main point (as a man who's into foreign languages, I particularly enjoyed this aspect). It turns out that there is often better communication between the humans and the aliens than among the humans, as the different governments start refraining from talking to each other. Whether or not we can communicate with each other will be one of the most important matters in the coming years, especially if world leaders refuse to do so.
Anyway, outstanding movie. Also starring Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker and Michael Stuhlbarg.