Arrival | Nov 11, 2016 | Villeneuve/Adams/Renner | First Reviews Have Arrived.

[Cmasterclay]

Man, the first two/thirds of this movie are pure freaking magic. Best of the year. The third act......meh. Don't hate the concepts, have problems with the lazy and rushed execution. 

[Blankments]

Final predict:

 

DOM: 80M

[chrisman0606]

I can not believe Paramount is not expanding the Arrival to 3,000 theaters but increasing it from 2,317 to 2,335 instead. How stupid Can Paramount be when the Arrival surpass expectations.

Edited November 17, 2016 by chrisman0606

[baumer]

Just finished discussing it with Grim and Tim.  Wow, what an incredibly provocative film.  It left me emotionally exhausted by the end.  I liked it immensely and I think both Renner and Adams were terrific in it.  

[Jessie]

Lol fuck critics, after the reviews saying this is what 'interstellar wanted to be' I was expecting something special. Sure the film was good but it's no interstellar and won't be remembered as such either 

[baumer]

Its way better than Interstellar imo

[La Binoche]

3 hours ago, Christmas Baumer said:

Its way better than Interstellar imo

 

True, because Nolan sucks. 

[cannastop]

Turns out I might not watch Arrival. It's going to leave my nearby theaters before I can get to it.

Edited November 18, 2016 by cannastop

[The Stingray]

Villeneuve's last two >>> Fincher and Nolan's last two.
 

[SofNascimento]

Just watched it.

I thought I would like it more than I did, although I was a bit sick so that might have spoiled some of it. The aliens reminded me of the Hanar from Mass Effect, only tougher. And it would be quite a well timed film if it had... arrived just after ME3 was released. 

[MovieMan89]

7 hours ago, The Stingray said:

Villeneuve's last two >>> Fincher and Nolan's last two.
 

^When you realize it's true. 

[Ezen Baklattan]

It's a masterpiece. 

[Jake Gittes]

Kinda muted on this. Maybe it's cause I'd read the short story first, but I had my problems with the adaptation

 

Spoiler

 

First of all, while compressing the daughter's story to what appears to be a flashback is very clever, but the film then focuses so much on the procedural/mystery aspects of the aliens' arrival, and the subtext of the communication between the species, that the daughter's part ultimately feels tacked on, like the movie didn't have enough drama and decided to add some the fastest way possible. In the short story the two storylines constantly intercut and work together much better, and the reveal that one half of the story is all in her future hit me much harder emotionally. 

 

The daughter dying an angelic sad death from cancer is the most sanitized, Hollywood version of that plot turn possible, in that no one is remotely guilty of her death. It provokes some uncomfortable questions - like, if Louise saw that her kid would get killed by a drunk driver or randomly stabbed in an alleyway or something, would she still accept it in the end? The short tory makes this work because it has her die when she's 25 and mountain climbing, so at least it makes it clear that she's consciously risking her life. 

 

I wish we could see some actual attraction developing between Adams and Renner. In the short story, he asks her out and they sleep together, while the movie is so single-mindedly focused on staying on that field and maintaining its mood that it tries to sell this by simply telling us they'll get married and with one bit of laughably hokey dialogue ("It wasn't meeting them... it was meeting you", etc). That whole part really did remind me of Nolan at his weakest - just sterile and sexless and dull. It's not like Villeneuve couldn't do this, either - one of my favorite scenes in Sicario is when Emily Blunt and her partner decide to ditch everything for an evening and go get drunk in some bar. It doesn't break the tension, and it's thrilling in its own way, because you don't normally see that in movies. Sure, then it turns dangerous, but here it wouldn't have to.

 

 

Also someone should have told Villeneuve that Shutter Island forever owns "On the Nature of Daylight". 

 

I make it sound like I didn't enjoy it at all, but no - Adams is excellent, Villeneuve knows how to keep the narrative tense and intriguing even when little happens, it's got a compelling message about communication and in terms of visuals and sound it's impeccable. It's solid, and the kind of film studios should be actively doing (I didn't learn until after the fact that it's essentially a big independent movie, which is kinda dispiriting), but it won't really stay with me. As far as Villeneuve is concerned I like Enemy and Sicario a lot more too. 

Edited November 19, 2016 by Jake Gittes

[The Stingray]

I would probably go

 

1. Arrival
2. Enemy
3. Sicario
4. Prisoners
 

[Charism]

1 Prisoners
2 Arrival
3 Sicario
4 Enemy

But all of'em are good/great.

[The Futurist]

32 minutes ago, The Stingray said:

I would probably go

 

1. Arrival
2. Enemy
3. Sicario
4. Prisoners
 

 

You haven't seen Incendies, you re dead to me.

 

[Joel M]

1.Sicario

2.Enemy

3.Incendies

4.Prisoners

 

and Prisoners is a pretty good movie. Can't wait for Arrival.

[Tau Ceti]

6 hours ago, Jake Gittes said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

First of all, while compressing the daughter's story to what appears to be a flashback is very clever, but the film then focuses so much on the procedural/mystery aspects of the aliens' arrival, and the subtext of the communication between the species, that the daughter's part ultimately feels tacked on, like the movie didn't have enough drama and decided to add some the fastest way possible. In the short story the two storylines constantly intercut and work together much better, and the reveal that one half of the story is all in her future hit me much harder emotionally. 

 

The daughter dying an angelic sad death from cancer is the most sanitized, Hollywood version of that plot turn possible, in that no one is remotely guilty of her death. It provokes some uncomfortable questions - like, if Louise saw that her kid would get killed by a drunk driver or randomly stabbed in an alleyway or something, would she still accept it in the end? The short tory makes this work because it has her die when she's 25 and mountain climbing, so at least it makes it clear that she's consciously risking her life. 

 

I wish we could see some actual attraction developing between Adams and Renner. In the short story, he asks her out and they sleep together, while the movie is so single-mindedly focused on staying on that field and maintaining its mood that it tries to sell this by simply telling us they'll get married and with one bit of laughably hokey dialogue ("It wasn't meeting them... it was meeting you", etc). That whole part really did remind me of Nolan at his weakest - just sterile and sexless and dull. It's not like Villeneuve couldn't do this, either - one of my favorite scenes in Sicario is when Emily Blunt and her partner decide to ditch everything for an evening and go get drunk in some bar. It doesn't break the tension, and it's thrilling in its own way, because you don't normally see that in movies. Sure, then it turns dangerous, but here it wouldn't have to.

 

 

 

 

Well, this weekend is just decimating the holdovers so I won't panic yet over Arrival's numbers. The week starting Monday will determine the success of this run. Re Jake's comments: 

 

Spoiler

"The daughter dying an angelic sad death from cancer is the most sanitized, Hollywood version of that plot turn possible, in that no one is remotely guilty of her death."

 

I was wondering when Hollywood decided that sci-fi movie heroines need to be burdened with a dead child in the first place. I disliked it here and especially in Gravity. Even in their absence it's children that determine how why empathize with female leads? Meh. 

 

[Jake Gittes]

1 hour ago, Tau Ceti said:

 

Well, this weekend is just decimating the holdovers so I won't panic yet over Arrival's numbers. The week starting Monday will determine the success of this run. Re Jake's comments: 

 

  Hide contents

"The daughter dying an angelic sad death from cancer is the most sanitized, Hollywood version of that plot turn possible, in that no one is remotely guilty of her death."

 

I was wondering when Hollywood decided that sci-fi movie heroines need to be burdened with a dead child in the first place. I disliked it here and especially in Gravity. Even in their absence it's children that determine how why empathize with female leads? Meh. 

 

 

Well, the short story was written in 1998 so it's more of a coincidence that the two movies share that element. It works better in the story too.

[bapi]

8 hours ago, Jake Gittes said:

Kinda muted on this. Maybe it's cause I'd read the short story first, but I had my problems with the adaptation

 

  Hide contents

 

First of all, while compressing the daughter's story to what appears to be a flashback is very clever, but the film then focuses so much on the procedural/mystery aspects of the aliens' arrival, and the subtext of the communication between the species, that the daughter's part ultimately feels tacked on, like the movie didn't have enough drama and decided to add some the fastest way possible. In the short story the two storylines constantly intercut and work together much better, and the reveal that one half of the story is all in her future hit me much harder emotionally. 

 

The daughter dying an angelic sad death from cancer is the most sanitized, Hollywood version of that plot turn possible, in that no one is remotely guilty of her death. It provokes some uncomfortable questions - like, if Louise saw that her kid would get killed by a drunk driver or randomly stabbed in an alleyway or something, would she still accept it in the end? The short tory makes this work because it has her die when she's 25 and mountain climbing, so at least it makes it clear that she's consciously risking her life. 

 

I wish we could see some actual attraction developing between Adams and Renner. In the short story, he asks her out and they sleep together, while the movie is so single-mindedly focused on staying on that field and maintaining its mood that it tries to sell this by simply telling us they'll get married and with one bit of laughably hokey dialogue ("It wasn't meeting them... it was meeting you", etc). That whole part really did remind me of Nolan at his weakest - just sterile and sexless and dull. It's not like Villeneuve couldn't do this, either - one of my favorite scenes in Sicario is when Emily Blunt and her partner decide to ditch everything for an evening and go get drunk in some bar. It doesn't break the tension, and it's thrilling in its own way, because you don't normally see that in movies. Sure, then it turns dangerous, but here it wouldn't have to.

 

 

Also someone should have told Villeneuve that Shutter Island forever owns "On the Nature of Daylight". 

 

I make it sound like I didn't enjoy it at all, but no - Adams is excellent, Villeneuve knows how to keep the narrative tense and intriguing even when little happens, it's got a compelling message about communication and in terms of visuals and sound it's impeccable. It's solid, and the kind of film studios should be actively doing (I didn't learn until after the fact that it's essentially a big independent movie, which is kinda dispiriting), but it won't really stay with me. As far as Villeneuve is concerned I like Enemy and Sicario a lot more too. 

Excellent arguments. I thought Arrival was good but not that great and definitely enjoyed Interstellar + last 3 Villeneuve movies more than this one.