Award Season Series: “Arrival” (2016)

Starting with this edition through mid-March, I will be working on an awards season review series, which will consist of films that have received award nominations and/or wins and various other accolades. I will also throw in a few films that have been nominated for Razzies (the opposite of the Oscars). So, to kick things off, I wanted to do a quick rewatch of the 2016 film “Arrival.”

Linguistics professor Louise Banks leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in twelve locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.

Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.

The 2016 film “Arrival” is a really thought-provoking, emotionally resonant science fiction film that has stunning visuals, powerful themes of communication, time and humanity and is an absolute must-see.

One aspect of this film that I really found intriguing is that “Arrival” is more of a “thinking person’s” sci-fi film. The film delivers a good amount of intelligent, thought-provoking drama rather than a typical action-heavy invasion film. The emotional weight of this film is one of the major highlights and even the film’s main “twist” will truly have you feeling moved.

Now, while most films that involve alien life can be rather fast-paced, the pace in “Arrival” is a bit on the slow side, which actually works just fine with a film like this. The deliberate pacing actually allows the film to realistically explore the immense challenge of first contact and deciphering an alien language. The slow burn also helps build the suspense and a sense of awe that also helps with the overall film.

“Arrival” also features some fairly memorable moments that can easily leave a lasting

impression on the viewing audience. The first contact scene is simply astounding as we see the initial tense encounter where Louise and Ian enter the alien ship and meet the seven-legged aliens. This is a striking moment of wonder and anxiety.

There’s also quite a few sequences where we see Louise and her team trying to decode the alien language that’s incredibly fascinating and the film’s big reveal is honestly one of the most impactful moments I have seen in a science fiction film.

Based on Ted Chiang's 1998 novella, “Story of Your Life,” “Arrival” is widely considered a “thinking person’s” sci-fi masterpiece. It uses the trope of first contact not as a spectacle for war, but as a vehicle for exploring linguistics, the nature of time, and the human condition.

“Arrival” has received significant critical acclaim, earning eight Oscar nominations (including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay). The 2016 film was also nominated for a couple Golden Globes and won for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Critics’ Choice Awards.

MPA: Rated PG-13 for brief strong language   (runtime 116 minutes)

You can currently stream “Arrival” on Paramount Plus or rent it through various PVOD platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMo3UJ4B4g

• Ted Chiang, who wrote the story the film is based upon, approved the film, saying "I think it's that rarest of the rare in that it's both a good movie and a good adaptation... And when you consider the track record of adaptations of written science fiction, that's almost literally a miracle."

• The original name for the film was "Story of Your Life", the same as the source novella. Test audiences did not like that title, so it was changed to "Arrival".

• Director Denis Villeneuve and the writing team took extensive efforts to ensure the movie's scientific ideology was accurate. Renowned scientist and tech innovator Stephen Wolfram and his son Christopher Wolfram were consulted to ensure all terminology, graphics and depictions were sound.

• Amy Adams was Denis Villeneuve's first choice for Louise Banks. She agreed to the role within 24 hours of receiving the screenplay.

• The classical music piece that bookends the film is "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter. Its prominence during the film and the fact that it was a pre-existing track meant that Jóhann Jóhannsson's score was deemed ineligible for an Academy Award despite being highly acclaimed.

• Despite receiving nominations for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild awards, Critics Choice awards and even the Saturn Awards, Amy Adams failed to receive an Academy Award nomination. Critics, audiences, major film groups and publications considered this a major snub at the time.

• The score music "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter is also used in Stranger Than Fiction (2006), Shutter Island (2010) and Disconnect (2012).

• As soon as director Denis Villeneuve finished this film, he began work on Blade Runner 2049 (2017).