Story of Your Life

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2016)

The one thing I always look for in science fiction films whether they challenge our current viewpoints on reality, humanity, and time. Arrival manages to do all of these things and more. It's yet another masterful job of directing from Denis Villeneuve.
I have seen all of Villeneuve's feature length films except for his first, but I think Arrival may be his best work to date. Yes, that includes the beautifully tragic Incendies. And the gripping and visceral, Prisoners. Or the twisted Enemy. And even last year's hit, Sicario. Villeneuve brings the best qualities from all those films and brings them to one of the best sci-fi films in recent memory.
What makes Arrival so impressive is that it never forces the audience to take a leap of faith in logic or principles. You know from the very beginning that it's going to be a grounded story told in a slow-burn style, and it delivers. I was never sitting in my seat hoping for a groundbreaking twist or a shocking death, I just let the story be told. And it's quite the story.
Amy Adams stars as a linguist who begins to work with the military once 12 massive and mysterious shells appear hovering around different areas of the world. Adams is expectedly amazing and balances vulnerability and strength so incredibly well. The film also balances a surprisingly human story with a global scope well. I knew the original title for the film was titled "Story of Your Life", but I can't say I expected such a grand idea to feel so personally important, especially for Adam's character. But this balance, was what I enjoyed most about Arrival. It makes for some surprising and satisfying reveals later on in the film.
The entire sound department and production design team also deserve a ton of credit. Sometimes you forget how important sound is in films, whether that be a score, random noises, or the lack of sound altogether. I can't tell you how impactful the sounds in this film have on setting the tone and feel of each scene. Equally as important are establishing the visuals appropriate for the tone you're going for. The cinematography by Bradford Young as well as the production design from Patrice Vermette deserve some serious recognition come awards season.
Arrival in many ways is an extremely important film right now in our world. It exemplifies what we can do together if we overcome our differences globally. That togetherness is something the film tackles in a refreshingly unique way. Normally, when sci-fi's attempt to tell a story about a potential alien invasion, Hollywood chooses to focus on merely America's side to things. Rarely do we get to see the entire world have to work together to overcome whatever issues the film presents, and that was pretty cool to see. For me, this film is not only important but groundbreaking. Some of the storytelling devices Villeneuve uses to convey language, communication, love, time, humanity and many others are unique and gratifying to see in this particular film. Go see this.
+Villeneuve does it again
+Adams deserves an Oscar
+Use of sound and visuals
+Unique
+Global and personal
10/10