Thought-provoking and emotionally engaging but sometimes dull..

Rating: 7/10 (20 November 2016)

Arrival is definitely a thought provoking science-fiction film to say the least. With a real, rich development of its central character, Louise Banks. Visually and sound-wise it also excels to a certain extent, from slow gliding shots through fog to beaming white brightness accompanied by an eerie score by Jóhann Jóhannsson. However the film does suffer from a little too much melodrama, as almost every scene (some fairly uplifting) has a depressing side to it. Most of the time, this is Amy Adams who gives a very good but depressing performance. Denis Villeneuve's color pallet is also quite dull. Even in some of the happier scenes, a sterile, modern light is ever present.
By the end of it, I was amazed but really wanted to stick on a Wes Anderson film (I'm not even a big fan).