Arrival

Diana Hignutt

Very Tired
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
13,314
Reaction score
7,098
Location
Albany, NY
You know, that new high-brow science-fictioner with Any Adams and Jeremy Renner. Deeply emotional, very intelligent film. Adams is particularly excellent. Highly recommended. It's gotten some great reviews and lives up to them. Anyone else catch this one?
 

ElaineA

All about that action, boss.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 17, 2013
Messages
8,555
Reaction score
8,433
Location
The Seattle suburbs
Website
www.reneedominick.com
I've been waiting to see what people besides movie reviewers have to say. I'm not sure the advertising is selling the premise quite right, and for me the dissonance between the McConaughey-esque commercials and what I've read in reviews has made me nervous. So thanks for posting about it. Glad to know it lives up to the good word.
 

Diana Hignutt

Very Tired
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
13,314
Reaction score
7,098
Location
Albany, NY
I've been waiting to see what people besides movie reviewers have to say. I'm not sure the advertising is selling the premise quite right, and for me the dissonance between the McConaughey-esque commercials and what I've read in reviews has made me nervous. So thanks for posting about it. Glad to know it lives up to the good word.

In some ways it's kind of the exact opposite of Contact. We jump into communicating with "them" fairly quickly. And get into Sapir-Whorf and some linquistic fun and a little dash of temporal sleight-of-hand and an emotional stomach punch.
 

Introversion

Pie aren't squared, pie are round!
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Messages
10,643
Reaction score
14,867
Location
Massachusetts
I liked it, but didn't love it. On the one hand, it's refreshing for a big-budget SF film not to be all 'splodey all the time. OTOH, I thought the final movements were a bit glacial.

Also, I had trouble suspending disbelief for the central plot-device (won't mention spoilers; you'll know what I mean if you see the film).

But the lead actors are superb, the soundtrack supports the visuals nicely, and the visuals are tasty.

If I'd Netflixed it, I'd be inclined to give it 3.5 stars out of 5. Maybe 4 if I were feeling charitable.
 

Latina Bunny

Lover of Contemporary/Fantasy Romance (she/her)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
3,820
Reaction score
738
I really liked it. The more I thought about it, the more I like it. (My family didn't like it much, though. Sad.)

I loved that it's different in that it's not an action-must-kill-aliens-and-explosions-BOOM-BAM kind of scifi movie. I just loved that it was a movie that was based on communicating with aliens, not just rushing in and killing them, or whatever (though I do enjoy some of those action-y films as well).

I loved the language theme and the focus on linguistics. A human movie about the scientists/professors, not just about the military or some Rambo space marine, etc.

I felt that it had a positive message, though I feel there were several themes that could be interpreted in different ways.

It was definitely a movie that made me think about it long after the credits ended.

The twist really made the movie for me, (though I already did like the diplomatic communication with aliens plotline). I can see how it can be seen as hard to swallow for other viewers, though.

My biggest complaints would be that it was too slow and really dragged in some parts of the movie, and I can see where the payoff may not be satisfying for people. (Like Introversion said above, it did feel a "bit glacial" at times.)

It is a very quiet, still, emotional, and "cerebral" movie.

My father, who was okay with it, described it as feeling "artistic", and it does feel like an art film, (which can be a compliment or an insult or both, depending on how one views art films).

All in all, I did not regret watching it. I liked it. I can't communicate (lol!) how to describe the movie except that it was an interesting experience. I liked that it made me think about the concepts involved. It kept me thinking.

I would recommend it, but only if one likes "quiet" movies that tackles some complex themes/concepts with an emotional heart.
 
Last edited:

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
23,083
Reaction score
10,780
Location
Where faults collide
Website
doggedlywriting.blogspot.com
I loved the language theme and the focus on linguistics. A human movie about the scientists/professors, not just about the military or some Rambo space marine, etc.

I very much agree. I really liked that it wasn't another Independence Day type film about protecting the planet from the bad aliens. It did what SF is meant to do--make you think about things. Many blockbuster SF movies are really action thrillers, not thought-provoking "What ifs?" I enjoyed it. I also thought the aliens were cool looking (yay for hem not being humanoids with large, bumpy heads), and I loved their language. It was a bit slow in places, but it kept me wanting to see what would happen next.
 
Last edited:

onesecondglance

pretending to be awake
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 2, 2012
Messages
5,359
Reaction score
1,661
Location
Berkshire, UK
Website
soundcloud.com
I liked it very much. Very, very slow, but consistently interesting and suspenseful. Amy Adams was great and I didn't want to punch Jeremy Renner in the face, which is an improvement for him.

The "twist" / central plot device... yeah, I found myself unsure how it all hung together even when I "knew" the answer from the end of the film, but I suspect it will improve with a second watch.

The whole language/first contact thing reminded me of Blindsight, which I read just a few months ago, so I was pleased that, from a similar concept, the plot ended up being very different. Plus less nihilistic. That was good.
 

autumnleaf

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 29, 2010
Messages
1,133
Reaction score
215
Location
small rainy island
I found the pace just right, but then I prefer things that are a bit cerebral and mind-twisty and it certainly played with your head. Amy Adams is so good and the interplay between her and Jeremy Renner is unforced and believable. The Saphir-Whorf hypothesis is controversial in real life, but I think only the most nitpicky linguists could find fault with its use here.

Has anyone read the short story it's based on?
 

onesecondglance

pretending to be awake
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 2, 2012
Messages
5,359
Reaction score
1,661
Location
Berkshire, UK
Website
soundcloud.com
Slow isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a current example, Westworld is tortuously slow, but that is helping it unfold the many and highly complex plotlines smoothly, without fear of blowing the poor audience's minds.

Arrival is using a similar technique, but the pace also helps establish the tone.
 

Sophia

Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
4,540
Reaction score
1,751
Location
U.K.
Has anyone read the short story it's based on?

Yes. It's my favourite ever short story, and I was thrilled when I heard they were making a film based upon it. I recommend Ted Chiang's collection "Stories of Your Life and Others" to everyone. :)
 

Introversion

Pie aren't squared, pie are round!
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Messages
10,643
Reaction score
14,867
Location
Massachusetts
Slow isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a current example, Westworld is tortuously slow, but that is helping it unfold the many and highly complex plotlines smoothly, without fear of blowing the poor audience's minds.

Arrival is using a similar technique, but the pace also helps establish the tone.

I didn't mind that it unfolded slowly, but that it decelerated at the end and kind of rambled to a stop.
 

Myrealana

I aim to misbehave
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
5,425
Reaction score
1,911
Location
Denver, CO
Website
www.badfoodie.com
The slow build almost lost me, but once the real plot started, I was glued to my seat.

I thought Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner were both outstanding. Forest Whitaker's accent however was... not great.

For once, I was drawn along by the story instead of jumping ahead and guessing the ending. It managed to keep me right there in the moment the whole time, and that's awesome.
 

Latina Bunny

Lover of Contemporary/Fantasy Romance (she/her)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
3,820
Reaction score
738
Slow isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a current example, Westworld is tortuously slow, but that is helping it unfold the many and highly complex plotlines smoothly, without fear of blowing the poor audience's minds.

Arrival is using a similar technique, but the pace also helps establish the tone.

I don't think Arrival is a bad movie; I thought it was a really good/great movie. I think it's more the pacing is just not to my taste (and my family's tastes, for sure). I am one of those who grew up enjoying more MG/kids stuff or action films than intellectual, slow adult stuff, so I am more used to faster pacing and quicker plots.

I still really, really liked the move despite its really slow pacing, and I like it even more the more I digest and analyze about it.

I loved the premise and the beautiful, gentle revealing of the twist. I am still trying to absorb it. Just lovely. Amy Adams' wonderful acting just sold the emotional points for me.

It's definitely a movie that's worth a re-watch, for sure! :)
 
Last edited:

Introversion

Pie aren't squared, pie are round!
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Messages
10,643
Reaction score
14,867
Location
Massachusetts
Huh. I found the end to be an amazing emotional and intellectual payoff, personally.

Yeah, I can see that it would work that way. I felt like the final 10 minutes were spent polishing a conclusion we all understood by that point, and didn't need to have underlined multiple times. I'm a weirdo; what can I say? :tongue
 

Latina Bunny

Lover of Contemporary/Fantasy Romance (she/her)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
3,820
Reaction score
738
The ending half was actually the best part of the movie for me (and my family). :) Very cool and mind-bending overall, and had great emotional moments.

I also loved the suspenseful (or "awe") moments throughout the movie as well.

I had some feel-good feelings in the parts when some real progress with aliens was made. (It was kind of...um, "cute" with the teaching and learning portions of the movie. :) I loved the child teaching moments as well.)
 
Last edited:

Brightdreamer

Just Another Lazy Perfectionist
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
12,977
Reaction score
4,513
Location
USA
Website
brightdreamersbookreviews.blogspot.com
Just saw it today with family. I liked the majority of it, though some elements I was rather meh about. (SPOILER The parts with the kid really bugged me, and drug down my enjoyment of the film. It's one thing her knowing her child is doomed, yet knowing Hannah's important to helping Mom solve the language issue and better humanity, but not telling the father until later? That "Want to make a baby?" line would've been a great opener for a "We need to talk..." - and fade to black, implying she told him what she saw in the future, so he'd at least go into parenting Hannah with his eyes open, even if he realizes he can't emotionally handle it when the chips are down. As it was, it felt like too many "Oops!" women who trick a guy, making him fully justified in storming out of her life when she finally spills the beans. I also wasn't sure about the juxtaposition of fatalism with optimism that whole plot element implied. SPOILER) That aside, it was very intelligently written, a nice take on first contact stories that doesn't involve explosions or product-placement lures or Mac compatibility.
 

ElaineA

All about that action, boss.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 17, 2013
Messages
8,555
Reaction score
8,433
Location
The Seattle suburbs
Website
www.reneedominick.com
I'm sorry to revive an old thread, but we finally got around to seeing Arrival last night. I loved it, pacing and all, but man, did I have to talk it through after.
The whole time as a fixed track vs. time as a flexible path laid down by free choice is a super compelling philosophical argument in this context. I found the difference in views between Louise and Ian (Louise with fixed track, Ian with free will) fascinating because she was the one who experienced, and thus, "knew" the circular nature of time through her mastery of the language. So the implication might be she knows the "truth" about time. Still, she didn't test the conclusion and I was left wondering why.

I'm definitely reading the source novella ASAP (there are 267 holds ahead of me at the library! Ahhhhh!) to see if/how Chiang dealt with that. So glad someone here mentioned the story. I hadn't known Arrival was based on a novella.

I do love a brain-churn movie.
 

LAgrunion

not to be taken seriously
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,114
Reaction score
354
Location
Los Angeles
I read Ted Chiang's short story first, then saw the movie recently.

The movie is excellent, and Amy Adams, as always, is superb. I have to admit, because I am dumb, I didn't get the premise/twist while reading the short story. It wasn't until I saw the movie did I get it. Maybe it's because I'm more of a visual person.

I like both action-y (Aliens) and brainy sci-fi tv/movies. Sometimes you get both, as in Battlestar Galactica, but it's rare. The Arrival is definitely the brainy type. It wasn't slow for me because I was absorbed. The pacing, the methodical unfolding of the mystery, is just right. And I really like the way the aliens' language is translated. The screenwriter did an excellent job adapting the source. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought the short story was adaptable into the movie form.

The movie, especially in the second half, does deviate from the short story. Probably because they wanted to add a bit more plot and drama for the movie.

The short story is pretty intellectual. I read that, for the story, Chiang put years of research into linguistics. He's quite a perfectionist. I know nothing about linguistics, but the details with which he discusses the subject are impressive. In fact, the linguistics discussion takes up the vast majority of the word count. I didn't get most of it, but I still enjoyed reading it. Most hard sci-fi are hard for me to get. I'm sure someone who has taken a linguistics class would have a deeper appreciation.

The only quibble I have with the premise is that I'm not sure it works logically if you think really hard about it. But maybe it does, and my comprehension is just constrained by my particular, limited perception of reality. Anyway, it's best not to think too much about it. Just go on the ride and enjoy it.

If you see the movie on Blu-ray, there is an interview with Chiang where he talks about physics and philosophy. Very smart and interesting.

For those who like brainy, trippy sci-fi movies, I recommend Coherence (2013), an obscure indie. It might be on Hulu. The story is about a dinner party and how a cosmic event affects the workings of their reality. It's very confusing but thought-provoking. One of those movies that I can't let go and still think about years later.
 
Last edited:

ValerieJane

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 4, 2010
Messages
213
Reaction score
39
Location
Gerudo Valley
As a language person myself, I quite enjoyed the language theme of the film, as well as Amy Adams explaining how teaching language communication works. But ultimately I was left feeling unsatisfied from the movie. The promise of the story was that SPOILERwe were going to find out about these aliens, and the outcome turned out to be about her as a chosen one, with an ability to see beyond time. Also she fell in love. I apologize if this is a little rough; it's been a little bit since I've seen it, and I've only seen it once. I just thought the turn of story came too late.

For those who like brainy, trippy sci-fi movies, I recommend Coherence (2013), an obscure indie. It might be on Hulu. The story is about a dinner party and how a cosmic event affects the workings of their reality. It's very confusing but thought-provoking. One of those movies that I can't let go and still think about years later.

LOVED this movie! My new favorite thing is a movie that has a vague outline of where it should go, and is largely unscripted. Incredible.
 

robeiae

Touch and go
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 18, 2005
Messages
46,262
Reaction score
9,912
Location
on the Seven Bridges Road
Website
thepondsofhappenstance.com
My daughter was bugging me all summer to watch this move; she absolutely loved it and was sure I would as well.

But I didn't. I thought it was okay. The acting--especially Adams--was superb, no doubt. The plot was interesting and thought-provoking to some degree. Yet, the resolution was terribly flawed, imo.

Spoilers: It didn't make any sense whatsoever that the Adams would need to leap forward and have the Chinese general provide her critical information. The actions by rogue army forces wasn't explained or handled well, at all. And even more troubling/problematic was the apparent fact that the US team--led by Adams--was behind the Chinese, the Russians, and others in discerning that the Aliens were making an offer. Also, the exploration of free will in context with an already-determined future ultimately collapses as meaningful; Adams' "decision" to have a child is really no such thing; she has no choice and her emotions are insignificant, again in context, because the aliens--who must also be simply acting out a script--are saving their entire race, it would seem.

The whole thing ultimately left me with a big case of the "mehs." Especially since the movie ultimately failed to dig deeper into the alien language. I expected some fractals in there...



ETA: I also agree about Coherence. Very interesting flick.
 
Last edited:

Luciferical

Sockpuppet
Banned
Joined
Jul 27, 2017
Messages
123
Reaction score
4
Location
USA
I never quite connected with the movie. I think it's a new take on alien contact, and the linguistics was brought into play without too much infodumping. They actually made the plot move with the linguistics.

But... I think I understood what was happening, but I never FELT it. My heart didn't race at all as the tension rose, and I never lost that feeling that I was watching a movie. I have a very active suspension of disbelief, but it never kicked in here.

Good movie. I liked it. Didn't love it.
 

AielloJ1

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2017
Messages
116
Reaction score
12
I felt there were just flaws in the endgame that might of hurt it by being confusing with the time thing. It left a lot of questions that were unanswered. The purpose of the Aliens also I wonder if was too generalized because the moral of the movie was more about her than it was about the overall events that happened. It all was a means to get around to her choice and if we the viewer think it's worth it or not/ right or wrong.