Why are they here?

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2016)

Denis Villeneuve's Arrival is a study of how humans communicate and attempt to understand each other. It examines human relationships that are endured through time, bringing into perspective the intricacies of our language and our interactions with something we don't understand. Only lastly is it a sci-fi movie about extraterrestrial life.
Villeneuve has proved to be a director of utmost talent and diversity, but also the one that surrounds himself with equal talent, the Arrival being no different. Young's (Selma; A Most Violent Year) cinematography and style in depicting the research groups enter the mysterious ships produces some of the most groundbreaking sci-fi scenes that have ever been shot. The ships themselves look like timeless, shapeless monoliths. They defy the laws of physics and seem to have their own atmosphere inside. It is truly a grandiose, terrifying, unknown object. The Aliens inside those ships as well as the surroundings seem to raise more questions then answers, while the ships gloriously 'stand' on the backdrop of incredible landscapes, such as oceans, mountains and panoramic plains.
Jóhann Jóhannsson is a long time favorite of Villeneuve, producing scores for Sicario and Prisoners. In Arrival his score elevates the scenes, adding tension utilizing mostly classical, timeless sounds. It is some of the best work Johann has done to date.
Most importantly however Arrival brings a story that is original, beautifully ambitious and most surprisingly relatable and real. Real enough to believe that if this had happened tomorrow, the outcomes would not have been much different. It might however be that ambition that sometimes separates Arrival from being a true masterpiece.
We witnesses the Arrival of the Alien ships through the eyes of a linguist professor, Dr. Louise Banks, convincingly played by Amy Adams. Louise is constantly haunted by a series of flashbacks depicting her daughter's life & early death. It is unknown how this is connected to the Arrival, but this relationship establishes the infrastructure for what Denis is possibly trying to convey, the pain and joy that language, time & communication bring.
The aliens don't seem to be hostile; rather, they are trying to say something that a human can't translate. This is where Louise is required, trying to communicate with the aliens to understand the purpose of the arrival. However as the inability to understand grows, so do human frustrations, leading to inevitable disputes, wars and drastic actions.
In Arrival we see China as the first country to decide to take actions against the aliens, with no apparent reason. In a comically ironic scene, we see the Chinese leader give the Aliens 24 hours to vacate before starting the attacks. Communications stall as all the research groups go offline, while Banks and her team race against time looking for answers.
Some parts of the Arrival echo the Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers. There, Aliens have come and left, leaving behind mysterious 'zones' filled with objects that only 'Stalkers' dare to explore. The metaphor that humans perceive aliens similarly to how insects perceive humans & human objects, imagining a group of ants stumbling upon an abandoned roadside picnic, full of mysterious objects and sights.
Yet the message of the Arrival is different. It originates from a kinder place, it projects the need for working together, for using language to try and understand others. In this sense the sci-fi aspect of Arrival can be seen almost as an allegory to say that as humans we owe it to each other to communicate more before taking actions, regardless of how painful the outcomes might be. I fear many will critique The Arrival for this 'kindness', for deviating from a more traditional resolution, but it's refreshing. That a director is able to portray an Alien arrival in such a rational, artistic and melancholic way is a tribute to his strength of character.