Arrival is one of the most intense and cerebral experiences you've ever had at the movies, requiring full concentration, an open mind, and patience for a slow-moving, but utterly enthralling story. Featuring exceptional performances, astonishing directing from Denis Villeneuve, a near-perfect screenplay, and a mesmerising score, this is a truly exhilarating film to watch, and one that will leave you thinking and pondering long after the credits have rolled. PLOT The story is one we have become familiar with in varying scenarios over the years. Space ships (in this case, 12) from another planet land in widely diverse areas on Earth and proceed to cause the world's great movers and shakers to shake a bit more than usual. The key player in the scenario is Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a Professor of Linguistics. After word spreads around campus of the startling landings, Louise, who is mourning the death of her teenage daughter Hannah from cancer, is called upon by Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) who asks her to use her language skills to communicate with the aliens in order to discover the reason for their visit. The acting is top notch with Amy Adams giving an Oscar-worthy performance and Forest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner at the top of their game. For me it was perfect, as it gave me a new perspective and a new matter to think about. I strongly encourage you to see it, preferably in cinema, for the best experience. The story is very difficult to talk about without spoilers, however I can say that the way the film's narrative unfolds throughout is genuinely one of the most unique and brilliant things I've ever seen, and it makes for an astonishingly powerful development of emotions towards the finale. It does require an open mind, but with that comes a truly incredible and thought-provoking story.
