"Non-zero-sum game!"

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2016)

Who are they? Why are they here? What are their purpose on earth?
These are the fundamental questions asked in the new movie Arrival. Director Denis Villeneuve's newest film is a smart tale of mankind's first contact with aliens that boast a sophisticated narrative and nuances, great visuals, and strong performances from its small but effective ensemble cast. "Arrival" is one of these such movie treats; an intellectually intelligent Sci-fi that's highly likely to be regarded as a genre classic in the years soon to come.
Dennis Villeneuve (who has quickly become one of the industry's greatest current filmmakers), who here worked with screenwriter Eric Heisserer in adapting Ted Chiang's short story for the big screen, has created a Sci-fi event free of what you'd call large scale alien infused spectacle but instead filled a film with a quietly powerful narrative and ultimately stunningly moving centre that drives this unique vision to grand and near close to perfect Sci-fi heights. With all that's played out, a movie like Arrival about understanding aliens who communicate in a very different way than we do sounds pitch perfect for the kind of a week we've all had. After all, language is the cornerstone of our society, and we live in two very different Americas. To make things even better, the film is the latest in a string of successes by Prisoners and Sicario director Denis Villeneuve.
Centered around the intriguing prospect of Amy Adams language expert Dr. Louise Banks, whose battling to figure out a way to communicate with an alien race that has decided to pay earth a potentially deadly visit, Arrival's narrative is best left relatively unspoken about as its complexities will be enjoyed that much more by those that know only minimal details about where Villeneuve and his talented cast are taking us.
Anchored by what could well very be an Oscar nominated turn, Arrival rides off the back of Amy Adams central turn and while the increasingly impressive actress is ably supported by Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker, Arrival really is her film.
Touching, thematically rich and visually robust (albeit a tad too sentimental in parts), Arrival is an ambitious, ultra-intelligent sci-fi drama, custom made for those who like a shot of 'smarts' with their popcorn — the film, dealing heavily with memory and loss, bound to get an emotional response from a handful of viewers.
Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker), a high ranking military official, pays Louise a visit and informs her that alien life has been found on these pods. He also informs her that he needs someone with her particular set of skills to learn how to communicate with these aliens and understand why they're here. With the help of scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), Louise is to make contact with the aliens and find a way to break the barriers of oral and verbal communication to figure out what is happening. Meanwhile, Louise has memories of raising a daughter she never had.
"Non-zero-sum game!" — a situation where one's win does not necessarily mean another's loss, and one's loss does not necessarily mean that the other party wins. But in Arrival it's all about using the Weapon Language, the Cornerstone of Civilization
Despite grand visuals, grey cinematography, and a triumphant score, the film's defining hallmarks are its strong narrative, its nuanced direction, and its beautiful acting. You might require some patience and dedication but you won't be disappointed — Have some wine coolers with this one — it's a terrific film!