Denis Villeneuve's Arrival (Post-release)

heard the ending will blow one's mind... i'm interested in seeing it, tryinig to make time this weekend

Just saw it. It was eh. I actually found the ending a major let down, mostly because I pretty much made the connections early on. After all the build-up, the ending literally elicited an, "Oh, come on" outta me. It's a beautifully shot movie. Fine performances. Just an utterly unsatisfying and for me, pretty boring, conclusion. A well-crafted movie builds up to a cheap, soap opera quality climax. If you go see it, leave ten minutes before it ends. It'll make for a better experience. It's worth seeing on Netflix or Redbox. Otherwise, save the money.

Prop wise, the only thing I saw that I'd like to have is Louise's hardcover book.

~Ron

I really enjoyed it, ditto about the ending, but quite good.

Saw it today. Was ok. Confused the hell out of me. So what the heck was actually happening? She can see the future? They will need humanities help in 3000 years? Uncurable disease? Cancer?

Just saw it. It was eh. I actually found the ending a major let down, mostly because I pretty much made the connections early on. After all the build-up, the ending literally elicited an, "Oh, come on" outta me. It's a beautifully shot movie. Fine performances. Just an utterly unsatisfying and for me, pretty boring, conclusion. A well-crafted movie builds up to a cheap, soap opera quality climax. If you go see it, leave ten minutes before it ends. It'll make for a better experience. It's worth seeing on Netflix or Redbox. Otherwise, save the money.

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Agreed, solid acting but the story was all over the place; both confusing and obvious at the same time. To me, it reeked of different writers adding extra crap throughout leading to a deus ex machina ending. Couldn't buy into it.

The more I reflect on it, it's not to ponder its supposedly deep message, it's to identify all the pieces of other films that were stitched together to make this movie. Not only that, but the story resolves nothing. It's says nothing about WHY they're really here; the very question the poster asks that the movie never answers. Instead, it replaces that answer with the cheesiest of resolutions. The two worst lines in recent cinema have come out of this movie, not because they're the worst written lines, but because they become the focal point of the entire story, reducing a tantalizing question of "why are they here" to the most mundane, "want to make a baby?". Really? And, the greatest sin..."The biggest surprise in all this wasn't meeting them. It was meeting you." THAT line alone merits a refund.

I couldn't disagree more. This was a well made, thoughtful, intelligent and emotional film. After seeing it the first time (and I've now seen it 3 times) I had to take a walk to contemplate what I had just watched. Highly recommended.

I agree that it's well-made. I kind of agree that it's thoughtful or at least tries to be. It could be way more intelligent than it thinks it is or ends up being. As far as emotional, it never engaged me on an emotional level for a moment. It all just felt too deliberately "clever". Maybe I've just seen too many movies, but I thought it telegraphed everything it was trying to do. It all seemed so obvious. It wasn't horrible. Just didn't come close to deserving the voluminous praise it received. The movie I saw advertised and lauded is not the movie I feel like I saw.

Finally found time to see this.
I think it deserves the praise it has gotten.

CessnaDriver said:

Finally found time to see this.
I think it deserves the praise it has gotten.

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ditto to that, saw it xmas day... very good movie

It was a pretty good movie, but I have mixed feelings about that ending. I mean, I wish there was a clear explanation of why they came to earth. They said they needed help from the humans in 3000 years, which is why they gave to her the ability to understand their language, probably so there won't be any language barrier when they come back, but why? What will happen to them? I just wish they would tell her, unless they are planning a second opus x)

Do you remember a series called "Flashforward"?
Basically the thing was that people had a vision of the future but no matter what they did they couldn't change the outcome, but it was always the case that their actions to avoid it still resulted in the same event.

Spoilers!!!!

The aliens arrival on Earth had to happen because they already had a vision they would need humanity in the future, but it was unclear as to WHY they would need us. Regardless of that reason, they still had to come and teach their language to humanity so we developed the same ability to see into the future so that we would help them.
The side effect in teaching us how they percieved time through their language was that Dr Banks also developed the same deterministic abilites to foresee her own life events unfolding.
The ulitmate trick with the story,as with the film, is that you are uncertain of the tenses in which the events all happen,ie past ,present or future.
When I read the novella it makes slightly better sense because the daughter dies much later in life in a climbing accident, and there is no reference point to Dr Banks age,unlike the visual nature of the film. Its therefore alot easier to hide the twist ie the fact the daughter is the result of her relationship after the "Arrival".
The films decision to have the daughter die earlier is a more heart breaking "choice" because her illness cannot be avoided and may actually have been caused by exposure to the "Arrival", but no matter what Dr Banks does she still cannot stop herself falling in love nor having her child. But the sum total of her love for her daughter, for her time with her and her husband still made it an inevitable outcome.
I was very pleased and moved by how they managed to keep the movie so true to the basic structure of the original story and, despite knowing the ultimate outcome , because I'd read it years ago, I still wanted and had to see it.
Now do you understand the real beauty and cleverness of the film for some people ?

^^perfectly explained

Saw the movie a second time over new years, and it was just as good as the first viewing. Easily my favorite film of 2016. My take away is that the Aliens had to come to Earth to try and ensure that there would be some help available when they needed it. They were trying to teach the human race how to work with each other, and talk with each other, in hopes that if that happened we would still be around to provide assistance, instead of blowing everything up before they needed us.

Finally had the chance to catch this movie, I wanted to see it in theatre, but none of my friends were interested. Shame, should have gone alone like I do from time to time.
Anyway, really liked it, and it raises a few intriguing observations in my mind : I'm personally under the impression that the octopods, and whoever fully grasps the universal language, don't exactly see the future, but actually experience it at the same "time" (for lack of better word !) as the present and the past, it's not premonition, which implies working on a linear vision of time.
It's really not easy to wrap your head around that concept of time, because we tend to always bring it back to our linear perception ! Which begs the question : would our minds actually be able to deal with it ? Given how complex it can become just trying to talk about it, I fear we'd go mad !
Also, regarding the "choice" Louise made to have her child anyway, I wonder if experiencing time the way she does actually allows you to alter the future you remember, or if whatever has happen already, is happening wether you like it or not...
Thought provoking movie, beautifully shot and well acted. Really regret no having seen it on the big screen.

teragon said:

Finally had the chance to catch this movie, I wanted to see it in theatre, but none of my friends were interested. Shame, should have gone alone like I do from time to time.
Anyway, really liked it, and it raises a few intriguing observations in my mind : I'm personally under the impression that the octopods, and whoever fully grasps the universal language, don't exactly see the future, but actually experience it at the same "time" (for lack of better word !) as the present and the past, it's not premonition, which implies working on a linear vision of time.
It's really not easy to wrap your head around that concept of time, because we tend to always bring it back to our linear perception ! Which begs the question : would our minds actually be able to deal with it ? Given how complex it can become just trying to talk about it, I fear we'd go mad !
Also, regarding the "choice" Louise made to have her child anyway, I wonder if experiencing time the way she does actually allows you to alter the future you remember, or if whatever has happen already, is happening wether you like it or not...
Thought provoking movie, beautifully shot and well acted. Really regret no having seen it on the big screen.

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I took the impression (having only seen it once, can't wait to chew over it again soon) that she experienced "visions" because the human mind isn't capable of experiencing multiple frames of time instantaneously. So I think the aliens have a much better grasp on the interpretation of such a perception compared to us, probably down to their physiology.

Hence I don't think Adams character has instant access to her entire timeline at will, she just has the ability to perceive it in fragments. She knew enough to know that her daughter would die and husband would leave etc and still made the heartbreaking choice to move forward - and it was beautiful. Thoroughly awesome film.

The Nerdwriter on Youtube did a recent video essay on it, insightful stuff. Highly recommend his channel, always feel a tad smarter after watching some of these, haha.