Review - Arrival 4.5/5 *SPOILERS*

               Arrival is far from your average science fiction alien movie. This is a film that calls into question how we as a race deal with potential threats, and how we would and should react in the event of an extraterrestrial threat. It bears witness to stellar performances by Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. All I can say is that I believe this movie landed a spot in my top 30 movies of all time for sure. It was the best movie of the year so far, in my opinion. I have yet to see Hacksaw Ridge, but I think Arrival definitely takes the cake.
               What I really liked about this movie, was how simple it was kept. If you're looking for an action-packed, high octane war movie about an alien invasion, look elsewhere. This is an alien movie for scholarly folk. The aliens are referred to as "Heptapods" due to their seven legs. twelve ships manned by these tentacled creatures show up as different places around the world. Nothing is known about them at first, they simply float in the skies above the countries they decided to reside over. A global investigation ensues to figure out what these ships are, how they got there, but most importantly, what is their purpose on Earth.
                Amy Adams plays the linguistics professor, Dr. Louise Banks. She was brought in by the U.S. Government to attempt communication with the aliens by boarding a ship every 18 hours through a hole that opened up. She is joined by Jeremy Renner's Ian Donnelly, a mathematician who will try and figure out technicalities of the alien ship and learn more about their technology. They form a close friendship over the course of the film.
                The cinematography and score of this movie is truly spectacular. Some of the best shots in an alien invasion film I have ever seen were done for this. This movie moved me emotionally. The music and feelings are felt by Louise, as most of the film is from her perspective and her motivations drive the plot. This movie managed to entertain and hold my attention, as well as be a beautiful peace of art, which is rare for me. I get bored easy.
                Director, Denis Villeneuve outdid himself with this. Another piece of his work is Prisoners, another favourite of mine, and you can really feel the same emotions in both films. It was scored by Jóhann Jóhannsson and he did a truly outstanding job. Absolutely the movie of the year.
                So did this movie fit my two most important categories? In both writing, adapted from Story of your Life by Eric Heisserer, and entertainment viability, this movie earns two thumbs up from me. Sci-fi fans and average movie goers alike NEED to see this film.

Arrival - 4.5/5