Saw this on Monday and was very impressed. Murrin had noted in "What's Playing" that the film is a slow burner, and so it is - but it is a thoughtful work that continues to work on you long after you have left the auditorium. By having the leading role posed as a linguist drafted in to navigate through the 'first contact' scenario, we are treated to an in depth study of how the nuts and bolts of this most challenging of situations might proceed, how the simplest of (on the face of it) communications is in fact a complex and layered structure of pre-understood notions - and the deep challenges that establishing common ground presents.
See it if you can and experience just how adult a treatment the scenario can be given.
(My thanks to Murrin who galvanised me to make the effort to see this in the cinema.)
Arrival
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peter
- The Gap Into Spam
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Arrival
President of Peace? You fucking idiots!
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
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Shuram Gudatetris
- <i>Haruchai</i>
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I watched this last night, it was really good. Nice to get some sci-fi that isn't action-driven, and gives you something to think about.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. You should see it if you haven't. Best picture candidate!
Spoiler
I was a little disappointed that a.) There is no communication between humans and aliens after the language is finally completely understood. b.) They took Louise up into their side of of the ship and she suddenly understood them perfectly, and then "knew" the language? I don't understand what transpired for her to be able to master it, am I missing something?
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peter
- The Gap Into Spam
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Spoiler
The implication was [if a YouTube explanatory post I saw was correct] that the 'aliens' had been priming her long prior to her actual conscription into the team as the key translator of the visitors language. Hence the film starts with her 'visions' of her future child etc, and her ongoing 'flash-forwards' into the future. Grasp of the alien language allows her to surf through time [which to the aliens is not linear, but circular as reflected by their script] and quite possibly seed her own mind with the necessary understanding, even if the visitors have not done it for her.
President of Peace? You fucking idiots!
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
Pretty People Doing Important Things With A Message About Humanity.
No, I didn't like it. Yes, I thought it was poorly written and heavy handed.
No, I didn't like it. Yes, I thought it was poorly written and heavy handed.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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aTOMiC
- Lord
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I enjoyed Arrival though I must confess my interest waned a bit here and there. The presentation of the content was entertaining however it was at times quite familiar to me. Like with many mystery stories the mystery itself is often times much more fascinating than the reveal and in this case I was hoping for something more satisfying. A well crafted and acted film in any case.
"If you can't tell the difference, what difference does it make?"
"There is tic and toc in atomic" - Neil Peart
