I must have been paying no attention the first time.
Upon revisiting, "Arrival" is a well-formed and deceptively complex commentary on life itself, taught to us through the medium of an extra-terrestrial presence visiting Earth. I don't think this is a film where acting was at the forefront of my mind: more engaging are the concepts of language, human nature and emotion.
Denis Villenueve is a master craftsman when it comes to world building (think "Blade Runner 2049", "Sicario"), and his talents translate into moulding the image of the visiting aliens. This bleeds into his treatment of their otherworldly communication, interpreted uniquely but accessibly through their 'patterns'.
I appreciated the attention Villenueve gave the environments outside of the spaceships themselves, even though they are not the main focus - a small detail that goes a long way.
As the story goes, its subtle brilliance is more apparent in the latter half, where it really takes off, especially considering the actions of other nations; I think my only real lack of engagement came in the earlier stages, where the struggle of language was presented as fairly linear and a bit nonsensical (bringing one linguist from the whole of the USA).
Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker look comfortable in their roles, particularly Whitaker, who has to play the intermediary between the militarily-inclined government and the evidence-backed Adams. Musically, the understated backing track builds pathos unconsciously, a smart choice so as not to overpower the delicate nature of the story itself.
"Arrival" is an enthralling experience, a space epic that subconsciously focusses more on the earthbound. It does require your focus, and might not grab everyone, but rewards those who treat the story with sufficient gravitas.
Upon revisiting, "Arrival" is a well-formed and deceptively complex commentary on life itself, taught to us through the medium of an extra-terrestrial presence visiting Earth. I don't think this is a film where acting was at the forefront of my mind: more engaging are the concepts of language, human nature and emotion.
Denis Villenueve is a master craftsman when it comes to world building (think "Blade Runner 2049", "Sicario"), and his talents translate into moulding the image of the visiting aliens. This bleeds into his treatment of their otherworldly communication, interpreted uniquely but accessibly through their 'patterns'.
I appreciated the attention Villenueve gave the environments outside of the spaceships themselves, even though they are not the main focus - a small detail that goes a long way.
As the story goes, its subtle brilliance is more apparent in the latter half, where it really takes off, especially considering the actions of other nations; I think my only real lack of engagement came in the earlier stages, where the struggle of language was presented as fairly linear and a bit nonsensical (bringing one linguist from the whole of the USA).
Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker look comfortable in their roles, particularly Whitaker, who has to play the intermediary between the militarily-inclined government and the evidence-backed Adams. Musically, the understated backing track builds pathos unconsciously, a smart choice so as not to overpower the delicate nature of the story itself.
"Arrival" is an enthralling experience, a space epic that subconsciously focusses more on the earthbound. It does require your focus, and might not grab everyone, but rewards those who treat the story with sufficient gravitas.