Didn't draw me in like Villeneuve's previous work

Rating: 6/10 (14 December 2016)

Denis Villeneuve has proved himself to be a very thought-provoking and intelligent filmmaker. Both 'Enemy' and 'Prisoners' were terrific films that left you thinking long after the credits rolled. Now, he has delivered us 'Arrival' and gone down a similar path. There's certainly a lot to think about and consider after leaving the cinema. The problem is that unlike his previous films, I'm not sure I care enough about the story to bother. This one didn't hook me in like the others. I wasn't enthralled with every scene needing to know what would happen next.
The concept of aliens in film always seems to be a popular one. People are fascinated by them and I suspect they genuinely crave the experience of aliens coming to Earth. So a film that explores that prospect is always going to be popular. I do think it can lead to some lazy film making in places though. Because aliens don't exist, or are at least not yet discovered, there are no rules that you have to follow. Anything goes. If you want time travel to apply, it's as easy as saying that it does. You can have them look however you want, have their ship look however you want and give them any physical abilities you so choose. Whatever suits your story best I suppose.
'Arrival' is a very well made film. It's beautifully shot and terrifically acted. It's a sci-fi film that also tries to be a drama and draw on your heart strings. In some places it tries to be too smart for its own good and just ends up getting messier than it needed to though. I think the biggest problem I found however was the characters. They were dull and seemingly unhappy people. If your characters aren't any good it's hard to care. Altogether I think 'Arrival' is a middle of the pack alien flick.