Arrival

The idea of exploring what the world could look like in the future or exploring alternative universes can be fascinating, but Hollywood particularly enjoys the idea of the alien invasion formula. We've seen it in many different forms but when Independence Day: Resurgence hit screens, the idea of a brain-numbing explosion fest just didn't catch my interest. Thankfully, Denis Villeneuve jumped on the scene and tackles the genre with Arrival which is probably one of the most interesting films of the year and also a complete surprise to me.

I'd been meaning to check out Villeneuve's Prisoners and Sicario for sometime having heard great things. One a tense drama about a child gone missing and the other an action thriller about the war on drugs in Mexico. Moving on to new territory, we now have a linguist (Amy Adams) called in by the government when alien spacecrafts land around the world, with the hope that she can make contact. It's a simple idea but one that is carefully directed keeping the focus on the characters and the mission to find out why these oddly shaped spacecrafts are here.

The only annoying thing is that to go into any detail would spoil the surprise. Villeneuve's direction is sharp without feeling forced or overbearing, and he's aided by cinematographer Bradford Young with their (to quote) 'dirty sci-fi' look that draws the audience closer. But this is Amy Adams' film and she delivers one of her strongest, by which I mean subtle, performances to date. The actress has five well deserved Oscar nominations and while this performance may not be the most 'showy', the film depends on her and it would be great to see more actors recognised in a genre usually reserved for the technical awards. Adding to the film, we get the charismatic Jeremy Renner, a weathered Forest Whitaker and an even more weathered Michael Stuhlbarg.

Anyone who expects a grandiose sci-fi action flick will be initially disappointed, but if you are looking for something that goes deeper and darker than the genre usually ventures, then Arrival is a rewarding, haunting and emotional experience unlike most we've seen. Now I can't say that I liked the idea of a sequel to Bladerunner but with Villeneuve behind the camera and setting up production, I think we can all feel a little more assured that he's the right man for the job.