The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic:
on ARRIVAL
(2016, 114 minutes, PG-13)
The Quick of It -
My head has been swimming with sci-fi for the past month. Aliens, spaceships, and anything in-between
are plaguing my workload and dreams.
So, while making my way to the theater to see ARRIVAL, I was not
necessarily as thrilled as I should have been.
Based on “Story of Your Life” written by Ted Chiang, ARRIVAL
revolves around a linguist who is trying to find a way to communicate with
aliens. In this ‘first contact’ storyline,
you get some of the typical story interaction you find in these films as well
as some new elements to deepen the sub-plots.
ARRIVAL takes the path of a harder science perspective on the ‘how’ but
softens it up with strong character development. Honestly, the film is pretty straightforward and kinda has an
expected ending. Even though there is a
twist, you are spoonfed along the way, so it doesn’t come off as a great
reveal.
Director Denis Villeneuve (of PRISONERS and SICARIO) keeps the drama
thick but it comes off as bland plotlining.
The cast is quite phenomenal, which does help. Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker help build the
sense of realism, which is key for stories like this. By the end though, something that maybe an innovative read seemed
drowned in normalcy as a film. I think
the most impressive trick is that this could be a potential outcome for our
real world ‘first contact’.
Grade: B
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