The Arrival- Film- SPOILERS

[JGP]

I was moved by the film, the score, and thought Adams' performance was understated brilliance. Definitely going to be some Oscar Noms for this show.

I read somewhere that the screenwriter is also adapting Chiang's Understanding. Curious choice, but I might've thought the same of this, so... 

[Corvinus85]

Really good film, was intrigued by it the whole time, though as all movies with twists go, it probably doesn't stand so well to repeat viewings.

Spoiler

 

Besides the monologue at the beginning, which is a clue as to what the aliens are about, there is also the clue in the preface of the book that Ian is reading, written by Louise. I thought that the first part of the movie was the best, because they took the time to slow things down, to show how much work and effort it would take to communicate with an alien species that doesn't even breathe the same air as we do.

I was annoyed at the end that it wasn't revealed what help the aliens needed from humanity in 3000 years. I guess humans will figure that out once they master the aliens' language.

 

 

5 hours ago, DaveSumm said:

 

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It hued slightly too closely to Interstellar at times, being basically an alien first contact with an emotional bond and some time travel baked in to it. But better than that film I think, although I'd hesitate to recommend this to anyone who didn't like Interstellar. Also I wish it had been a bit bolder with its exposition, or just had less really ... audience stand in Forest Whitaker gets to mainly ask questions to prompt Adams to Dumb It Down which got annoying, especially on like the third visit when she brought a whiteboard and he asks "what's that for"? Yea, what's it possibly for?

And maybe I have an unrealistic optimism about the human race, but I'd like to think we could make it through first contact without someone attempting to blow up the ship, or going to war with it. I guess the film needed some conflict and urgency from somewhere, but it seemed a bit far fetched that things would get that bad.

 

Spoiler

I would like to think we could make it through as well, but you seriously question the movie's approach on this subject just a few days after America elected Trump as president. I thought the soldiers who acted violently were realistically portrayed. It even had a Rush Limbaugh like dude spewing fear mongering and hatred. It reminded me of the religious douchebag from Contact who blew up the first machine. The only part that may have been a bit unrealistic, and clearly drawn from American stereotypical views, was China's reaction to the aliens. In a real situation, I could image America or another western nation going bat shit crazy, and China approaching things with calm.

 

[ummester]

Great film.

Comparable to both Interstellar and Contact as others mention, I'd put it in between them Interstellar 6.5/10, Arrival 8/10, Contact 9/10.

Would discuss the plot but have no idea how to insert spoilers

 

[A True Kaniggit]

Saw the movie two nights ago and  I really enjoyed it. One thing though. It's not really a movie I would recommend taking your child to. Not that's there's anything in it many people would consider inappropriate, it's just that most kids would probably find it boring. 

[SerHaHa]

Agreed with threads here, great film, 8.5/10, a strong showing for sure.  This, Dr Strange, Sully, a few others...the fall has been better than the summer for films IMO so far.

 

Spoiler

I felt glimmers of themes from Star Trek DS9, my favorite sci fi series, obviously the non linear existence of "the Prophets" in the wormhole, and the first 2 episodes of the series which this was fleshed out.

 

[Isis]

Tried to see this yesterday but in a suprise twist it was sold out when we arrived. Will be going on Wednesday instead. Bonus is that now we have both read the short story it was based on so that should make for some interesting discussion afterwards.

[Corvinus85]

Two things I don't understand about some of the plot

Spoiler

 

1) Are the aliens only capable of seeing time in a non-linear fashion? Or can they exist within that scope, like the Prophets of DS9 or the 5th dimensional beings of Interstellar?

2) Was there some kind of telepathic communication that allowed Louise to better understand the language and see her future, or did she simply started seeing her future but understanding the language bit by bit?

 

 

[DaveSumm]

EDIT: Bleurgh. Spoilers and quotes don't mix.

[DaveSumm]

Sorry I might have unspoilered part of that post...? Can we make it a spoiler thread?

[Corvinus85]

9 minutes ago, DaveSumm said:

Sorry I might have unspoilered part of that post...? Can we make it a spoiler thread?

Can you edit your previous post? I read what you quoted me on, so you can just remove stuff if you want.

[Calibandar]

18 hours ago, DaveSumm said:

Sorry I might have unspoilered part of that post...? Can we make it a spoiler thread?

Done.

 

18 hours ago, Corvinus said:

Two things I don't understand about some of the plot

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1) Are the aliens only capable of seeing time in a non-linear fashion? Or can they exist within that scope, like the Prophets of DS9 or the 5th dimensional beings of Interstellar?

2) Was there some kind of telepathic communication that allowed Louise to better understand the language and see her future, or did she simply started seeing her future but understanding the language bit by bit?

 

 

1) Well it is mentioned that time is completely different to them and non-linear, but it seems to me they are capable of seeing it in linear fashion since they know that they will need help 3000 years into the future. They also seem to be aware that the now of the film is a fixed period in which they are interacting with someone. But it's all guesswork really.

2) I don't think there was any special kind of telepathic communication with her. As she learned the language, she started to live in their world, which was the example brought up by Ian. She'd start dreaming about them and even when waking, found herself mentally in their world at some points.

[First of My Name]

Just watched this at the theater and really liked it, I loved the acting, music, visuals and how they played with the timeline. The direction the story took towards the end, and the ending itself, was not what I would've personally preferred but satisfying enough. I adored the focus on language, which sets the movie apart from other SF films I've seen.

But I also would have liked some more answers. What is the threat the heptapods will face in 3000 years, and how would humanity help them? And what was the significance of the twelve locations they picked? The movie hinted at some hidden meaning there but never followed up on it. Are there any theories about this?

[Leofric]

1 hour ago, First of My Name said:

Just watched this at the theater and really liked it, I loved the acting, music, visuals and how they played with the timeline. The direction the story took towards the end, and the ending itself, was not what I would've personally preferred but satisfying enough. I adored the focus on language, which sets the movie apart from other SF films I've seen.

But I also would have liked some more answers. What is the threat the heptapods will face in 3000 years, and how would humanity help them? And what was the significance of the twelve locations they picked? The movie hinted at some hidden meaning there but never followed up on it. Are there any theories about this?

The threat isn't described, but I guess they needed humanity to have 3,000 years of further development to be able to help them when the time comes.   The 12 locations may have been picked just to make sure all the leading nations in the world had access to at least one shell (sounds like Russia may have had two in their area), so they would all have cooperate to get the answer in the end.  Basically to unite humanity.

[Howdyphillip]

 I saw this film last week and loved it, despite not liking the director at all. The writing and acting more than made up for the pacing issues and general slowness of the film. The music was outstanding as well.

  Someone upthread said that they would not recommend this movie to someone who didn't like Interstellar. I didn't like Interstellar, but loved this. I personally thought that I was being emotionally manipulated in the same way in this movie, but with the plot twist, the story of human emotion was found to be central to the plot and therefore had even more meaning. I'm glad I saw this. It made me think for hours and hours afterwards.

[Channel4s-JonSnow]

1 hour ago, Howdyphillip said:

 I saw this film last week and loved it, despite not liking the director at all. The writing and acting more than made up for the pacing issues and general slowness of the film. The music was outstanding as well.

  Someone upthread said that they would not recommend this movie to someone who didn't like Interstellar. I didn't like Interstellar, but loved this. I personally thought that I was being emotionally manipulated in the same way in this movie, but with the plot twist, the story of human emotion was found to be central to the plot and therefore had even more meaning. I'm glad I saw this. It made me think for hours and hours afterwards.

How can you not like the director? I think hes possibly one of the more interesting directors out there right now. None of his movies have been perfect but they've all been of a high quality.

[Howdyphillip]

4 hours ago, Channel4s-JonSnow said:

How can you not like the director? I think hes possibly one of the more interesting directors out there right now. None of his movies have been perfect but they've all been of a high quality.

I haven't liked anything he has done at all besides this one. Sicario may have been the most boring movie I have ever seen. I can not stand the way he paces movies.He did the exact same thing with this movie, but the writing was so good it overcame it.

[Channel4s-JonSnow]

5 minutes ago, Howdyphillip said:

I haven't liked anything he has done at all besides this one. Sicario may have been the most boring movie I have ever seen. I can not stand the way he paces movies.He did the exact same thing with this movie, but the writing was so good it overcame it.

Guess it depends on your tolerance for slower paced movies. I thought Prisoners was a brilliant movie that had a weak ending that stopped it from being a classic, Enemy was an interesting 'arthouse' movie that was very well made, and Sicario was a well made, intense movie that had a slightly weak ending too. Otherwise I think he's yet to make a bad movie, and certainly is very intelligent and visual director. 

[First of My Name]

16 hours ago, Leofric said:

The threat isn't described, but I guess they needed humanity to have 3,000 years of further development to be able to help them when the time comes.   The 12 locations may have been picked just to make sure all the leading nations in the world had access to at least one shell (sounds like Russia may have had two in their area), so they would all have cooperate to get the answer in the end.  Basically to unite humanity.

But they didn't cooperate - Louise gained acces to the heptapod's secret all on her own, she didn't need the help of any other nations. So that theory kind of falls flat to me. Although it's possible that the aliens originally intended that and changed the plan when humanity didn't act quite as united as they anticipated, and turned towards Louise instead.

[Leofric]

15 minutes ago, First of My Name said:

But they didn't cooperate - Louise gained acces to the heptapod's secret all on her own, she didn't need the help of any other nations. So that theory kind of falls flat to me. Although it's possible that the aliens originally intended that and changed the plan when humanity didn't act quite as united as they anticipated, and turned towards Louise instead.

They did cooperate in the end after Louise made the call to the Chinese general.    Louise learned enough of the language to think and perceive time like the Heptapods, but she still only had access to 1/12 of the knowledge the Heptapods had sent.   She used what she had learned to get the nations to cooperate by getting the General's wife's last words from him at a party in the future where all the countries including the Chinese had come together after sharing what they had learned.

[First of My Name]

37 minutes ago, Leofric said:

They did cooperate in the end after Louise made the call to the Chinese general.    Louise learned enough of the language to think and perceive time like the Heptapods, but she still only had access to 1/12 of the knowledge the Heptapods had sent.   She used what she had learned to get the nations to cooperate by getting the General's wife's last words from him at a party in the future where all the countries including the Chinese had come together after sharing what they had learned.

But if she learned to perceive time like the heptapods just from 1/12th of the knowledge, what was the other 11/12th even for?

And couldn't the heptapods have achieved the same goal easier by just sending the ship that landed in Montana? That way they can bypass the need for a united humanity altogether and just get Louise on their side easier. Seems like a less risky approach. Louise could probably have used her 'powers' to achieve the same end.