Arrival

I actually made it out to the cinema this week and saw the film Arrival staring Amy Adams!

Arrival is an alien invasion story, but deviates from all the worn out and tired tropes of the genre we have become familiar with over the last few decades. It all begins with the arrival (haha see what I did there) of our elusive aliens. Twelve ships arrive on earth in seemingly random locations throughout the world, and naturally all of humanity freaks out. What do the aliens want? Do they intend to wipe us out? What do we do?

This is all happening in the background. The real focus of the story is on Louise, a highly respected American linguist. She is plagued by memories of a different life, a life spent with her daughter, who died young of an unspecified, but incurable disease. It is through Louise's perspective that we see the beginnings of how earth responds to the aliens. The respective governments where the ships have landed are telling the public nothing, not admitting to any contact with the aliens and generally staying pretty mum on the entire situation. Naturally this incites panic, and the world begins to fall into chaos. Louise attempts to keep calm and continue her life, but that quickly falls apart when she is approached by a colonel who she had done translation work for in the past. He gives her a recording of the aliens "speaking", asking her to translate. This begins Louise on her journey to establish contact with the aliens, learn how to communicate with them, to figure out what they want and why they are there. Louise, our hero, believes fully that the aliens are there in peace, that they wish to help humanity not harm them. She must work against the fear taking over the globe in order to prove it.

As someone who has studied linguistics, I really appreciated the approach they took to the entire process. Usually in these types of movies, the aliens have some sort of magical translation box, already know English, or there is no attempt at communication and war is inevitable. In Arrival, all the countries in the world send in their own language experts, they all attempt to communicate in their own languages, and they all make progress based on their different approaches that arise from their cultural differences. In the beginning they all share what they know with each other, but as time goes on and chaos erupts around the world, this collaboration falls apart. The methods used to decipher the alien's language, and attempt to teach them all were all based in actual techniques used by linguists working today. There is a feeling of realism in this film that is gripping, despite the ten foot tall octopus looking aliens that are a main feature. The way that people react, the way that governments react, are all very relevant and familiar to how we see people behaving in today's difficult climate.

Amy Adams was spectacular, flexing her acting muscles to portray this complicated, intelligent and driven woman. Louise is a character that never doubts herself, knowing that she is right and never gives up till the very last moment to solve the puzzle and ultimately save the world.

The story is emotional, complex, and riveting. I found myself on the edge of my seat more than a few times. When the climax hits and all the pieces come together it is a moment of pure triumph. I wanted to cheer in the theater I was so delighted. And, without giving anything away about the ending, it tackles another subject common in sci-fi that I have always found to be very poorly done, by giving you just enough to for it to make sense but not so much that you are confused and over analyzing.

There a lot of good films out right now, and bigger ones are just around the corner (Star Wars strikes again, will this one be any good? Stay tuned...), but if you get the chance go and see this movie, I highly recommend you do so. Not many movies are made anymore at this caliber.