16 Jan 2017

REFRESHING, BUT EMPTY


Modern day Hollywood has a huge problem not only with the overall vast majority of mediocre scripts, but also with the ones that tend to proclaim quality, since there is a real danger that they will get stuck in the sea of pretentiousness and emptiness that follows it.

SA failed to produce a solid SF movie in the last decade and it failed to achieve that with Denis Villeneuve's new long feature, the much appraised „Arrival”.

Nevertheless, Canadian born is a good director and he masters with the innovative cuts and angles in this one as well. The production is totally up-to-date, dominated by sterile dark tone minimalistic design. Acting is correct, as well as the humane part of the backstory that follows the main narrative. Atmosphere is nicely balanced and the tension is being steadily built up in the director's trademark slow pace.

On the other hand, the script is just too empty and unconvincing in giving the answer to the main question every SF that deals with the first contact between humanity and outer space species asks:

„Why are they here?”

The answer is given, but it just so weak and anticlimatic that it hurts. Even if „Arrival” represents only the beginning of a trilogy of franchize.

„Arrival” will be worth watching, but not worth remembering it.






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