By Mac Spain
Author: Mac Spain
Arrival is directed by Dennis Villenvue who previously brought us some exceptional thrillers such as Prisoners, Enemy and 2015’s Sicario. Now Sicario for me was an absolute masterclass in tension building and was easily one of my favourites from last year’s impressive roster of movies. So now we get to see the same slow, suspenseful direction we’ve come to love from Villenvue, only this time it’s applied to a science fiction plot you’ve seen a hundred times before, only this time….it’s different.
So Arrival is all about these mysterious ships that look a little bit like giant pebbles levitating in mid-air, and they start to crop up all across the globe. The US government respond to this by assembling an elite team- led by expert linguist Louise Banks. Now I have to say that I wasn’t even remotely interested in this film until just days before its release. A lot of the trailers made it look like your typical alien invasion movie, and to tell you the truth, if I had to watch another movie like that, well then it just may end with me vomiting internally. Thankfully Arrival was leagues above this, the content was smart and offered so much more than an abundance of CGI and pyrotechnics.
Now every time our expert linguist Louise Banks makes contact with these unknown lifeforms, it’s an encounter of epic proportions. I was fascinated, I was fixated and let me tell you I am in love with this movie! Essentially communication is this film’s main focus and for me it was just so refreshing to see. I can honestly not explain the way I felt leaving the cinema after seeing this, it was like I’d been transported to some higher state of consciousness. Despite all the political and scientific mumbo jumbo which gets woven into the film’s plot, at its core there’s still something very touching and very human about Arrival.
I do however think that it’s a crying shame that the very reason I enjoyed this film so much will ultimately become its downfall. Audiences are so used to being spoon fed every little detail that when a film like this comes along asking you to think, feel and immerse yourself in the experience, well a lot of people don’t quite know how to process that. We are the reason Hollywood has been bombarding us with endless sequels, prequels and remakes. We are the only people who can put a stop to it, by embracing and trying to understand these rare films like Arrival, which strive to be different. The biggest issue with consumerism nowadays I’d say is, a distinct lack of patience. Fingers crossed though that right people will still see this film for exactly what it is.
So yes I’d definitely say that Arrival is well worth your time, but only if you’re willing to invest in it. There is absolutely no point in going to see this film if your just gonna go into it with a half arsed attitude. Oh and one more thing I’d like to add is that now that we’ve had the chance to see what Villenvue is like behind the camera for a Sci-Fi, I can now say that I’m even more excited than ever to see what he does with the Blade Runner sequel next year!!
Here is the trailer below.
