More intelligent sci-fi today. “Arrival” is a genuine masterpiece that makes me cry every time. It repays repeat viewings because it works on several levels.
It’s brilliantly written by Eric Heisserer, based on a fantastic short story by Ted Chiang. A linguist is recruited to communicate with aliens that have arrived on Earth. But it’s *really* about a profound philosophical question concerning life itself.
The title of the original story is, appropriately, “Story Of Your Life”. It’s something that deeply resonates with me. And my answer, just like the main character’s answer, is “No”.
One false note – I wish they hadn’t verbalised it, the story-telling already does the work, but maybe someone thought people wouldn’t understand the movie.
Denis Villeneuve and his team do a great job of making everything real but also unreal. The cast are excellent, and the cinematography, editing, production design, music and sound are all weirdly alien and also beautifully human.
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