Best Movie of the Year?

Rating: 9/10 (16 November 2016)

Arrival is the story of first contact between humanity and alien life, and how this first contact affects and shapes the globe. It is both epic and intimate in it's scope, focussing primarily on a linguist, Louise, as she attempts to communicate with the creatures. The whole movie is based around an element of first contact that is all-too-often glossed over entirely; communication. It evolves into a tense cat and mouse as eleven different nations try to figure out why the Heptapods are here and what they want, but refuse to share information with anyone but their political allies.
The very first thing that surprised me about Arrival was it's emotional resonance. The movie opens with a heartbreaking string arrangement and a series of scenes that shows Louise's relationship with her daughter, leading to the tragic death at a young age. The movie had barely even started and I was already on the verge of tears. As Louise starts to unravel the mysteries of the alien writing she's given, she starts to see more and more of her daughter as they broach closer and closer to flat out hallucination (without going all the way, I might add).
Being a Villeneuve movie you'll know, especially if you've seen Sicario, the level of tension he is able to create, and it is used here in spades. I mean this is very first contact with an alien species. This is a humanity-changing event. Arrival doesn't let you forget how monumental an occasion this is, and it puts you right in the characters shoes as they first encounter this new, unknown life. The first ascent to the ship is one of the best scenes I've experienced in a long time, and it is an experience. It harks back to Kubrick's 2001 in it's marriage of music and cinematography, amping up the suspense bit by bit as more and more is slowly revealed
Talking of cinematography, the whole movie is breathtaking to watch. Louise's first glimpse of the shell, surrounded by rolling clouds flowing over the hills is captivating and perfect for setting the mood. But it doesn't let up, using times of day really well, like sunsets and sunrises to show not only the passage of time, but offer a glimpse into the character's feelings at the time. The use of composition and framing is not lacking either, especially in that first ascent into the shell, with long slow shots of the dark exterior framing the white wall at the other end.
The visual effects as well are on another level. For the most part at least. The design of the Heptapods is harrowing, making their first appearance a sight that truly takes your breath away. As we see more and more of them, the sheer attention to detail employed by the effects team is nothing short of impressive. Even as Louise hallucinates to one appearing in her room, it looks so life-like and real. I had to constantly remind myself that they weren't real, because without knowing otherwise, I would've had no idea. Even the way they move is trance-like. The only criticism I had with the effects, and in fact the whole movie, was one sequence late in the movie where Amy Adams' hair is CGI'd to flow and move as if underwater, or without gravity. It was the only time the effects just didn't work and actually looked unbelievable. They should've just filmed her, at least partially, underwater to get that more realistic sense of how hair looks and behaves in that environment.
The music was another massive strength of Arrival. The score by Jóhann Jóhannson is haunting, filled with alien sounds that sound like nothing that could be recreated on this plane of existence. It massive sounding horn sections burst in and out with such urgency that they make you sit up in your seat and pay attention, and the amount of tension brought in by the deep drones of cellos and tubas is palpable. There's also great use of a choir that adds a new dimension every now and then, just to underscore the orchestral arrangements. The film is also bookended with a very emotional piece by Max Richter called On The Nature of Daylight, and it punctuates and enhances the emotional resonance of those scenes perfectly, while also tying into something the movie references a lot, which is loops, circles, palindromes. It brings the end back to the beginning, showing that the music is not an afterthought when it comes to Villeneuve's approach to filmmaking.
Arrival is a big contender for my movie of the year so far. Once the credits rolled, I was overwhelmed with feelings and thoughts and couldn't move for a few minutes. I spent the entire journey home in complete silence reflecting on what I had just witnessed. This is an alien invasion movie unlike any I have seen before, promoting peace and unity and hope like no other. It throws you in the deep end immediately with a heartbreaking tragedy that goes on to define the whole, breathtaking encounter. It makes a point not to answer every question you might have so as not to dilute and distract from the main focus of the story. And that twist in the final act genuinely blew my mind. Wow. I give Arrival a very high 9/10, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was tempted to give it a full 10. Maybe on subsequent re-watches I'll have to come back and bump it up a bit. This is sci-fi at it's strongest, and I urge everyone to spare some time to go and see this. The big screen and top-notch surround sound of a cinema is absolutely the best way to watch this movie.