Support NeoGAF

[SoldierOfLight]

Finally caught a showing of this last night. Really good movie, I did fall asleep but only when they're in the early contact stages. Definitely a movie I'd have to watch again to get more but I do enjoy reading others view in this film and things I didn't catch.

 

[Japanmanx3]

Saw this tonight with a group of friends. Wasn't pleased at all. Knew going in not to expect an action flick, which is fine by me. Had friends before say they hated it but I saw the love and praise on GAF and RT and kept an open mind. I didn't get a sense of real emotion at all from the main character. The

Spoiler

learning language = unlocking future, non linear time (experiences, I guess?)

was weird but explained well enough. Plot just was boring... Quite a dry film with none of the characters feeling real...

Cinematography was fantastic tho.

 

[Monocle]

Finally caught a showing of this last night. Really good movie, I did fall asleep but only when they're in the early contact stages. Definitely a movie I'd have to watch again to get more but I do enjoy reading others view in this film and things I didn't catch.

So you missed the best part....

 

[Deleted member 30609]

This was the best cinema experience I've had in a while. The first sequence showing the vehicle hovering above the army camp really moved me for some reason.

 

[Stumpokapow]

My screener came in (they're submitting for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor for both Renner and Whitaker, and all the major technical categories). Villeneuve is a good director. I think they'll probably get a chance at production design, director, and adapted screenplay. The design on both the heptapods and their language was wonderful. The score was also good; I love the "n-n--n-n-nnn-naaaa" piece (called "Kangaru", by the film's composer), which reminds me of the weird vocalized synth bit in Muse's "Madness" and also fit very well with the themes of the film.

I really quite liked the film. It was quiet and contemplative and thoughtful. The brief discussion of Sapir-Whorf was very good. It's always nice when a quiet simple conversation really encapsulates a major theme of the film. The other thing I thought of near the end

Spoiler

was the Tennyson quote ("it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.") It's very poignant to see someone making a choice that they know is going to lead to so much pain. Also, most ""time travel"" movies have a stupid causality issue, but the time loop from the party to the sat-phone call works precisely because she's floating through time nonlinearly--neither cause nor effect needs to come first.

Renner is not a believable physicist. Sorry. I could buy Amy Adams as an actual linguist.

RE: Plot development

Spoiler

I don't think it makes sense to sell the film on the "twist". The title of the novella it's adapted from makes it fairly obvious what kind of thing is going to happen--and it becomes more obvious by the scene where Louise tells her daughter "if you need science, ask your father". It's very well telegraphed.

It's really nice to see a film in the $30-50 million budget range exist and have a little bit of freedom not to be big, loud and stupid. And to see audiences reward it.

 

[Staccat0]

Finally saw this today. Got a baby sitter and a moment to just enjoy a movie.

I fucking loved this movie. This pretty artfully tackled a lot of shit that has been keeping me up lately. Nice to see a sci-fi movie with some money behind it that didn't feel like it was for teenagers. I think it earned it's moments but I am admittedly the exact target audience for this.

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

Yeah I find this movie to be a big hit with people who have kids for very obvious reasons.

It's a very timely movie, that's for sure

 

[Blackpanther25]

Really liked this movie. Went into the theater to waste time while waiting for my wife to finish shopping and man I came out happy.

Yeah I find this movie to be a big hit with people who have kids for very obvious reasons

Agree! Hit home being a new dad.

 

[shira]

Some Blu-Ray/digital download news: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Arrival-Blu-ray/164834/

the tentative release date is Valentine's Day 2/14/2017

 

[amanset]

Finally saw it this evening and honestly thought it was appalling. One of the worst films I have ever seen at the cinema. I just can't understand where this acclaim has come from.

*snip*

Didn't realise there was a spoiler thread. I'll post in there.

 

[oni_saru]

Saw it today. And holy zen! Not what i had expected! I loved it!

And i agree with whoever said the beginning has a sense of foreboding. I was on edge trying to figure out what would happen next and just did not expect what ended up happening!

Really great movie!

 

[Playsage]

Liked the movie.

I have a question about a plot point.
What was the deal with

Spoiler

finding out that the dying eptapod's final message was the twelth part of a complete code to "unlock" the language

and then not pursuit it?

Also, about the language

Spoiler

the consensus is that it makes you experience every single temporal instant of your life at the same time?

 

[FreshCakes]

So the movie is getting a re-release this Friday.

Bonus footage, commentary, and behind the scenes from Villeneuve and the other cast and crew.

 

[shira]

So the movie is getting a re-release this Friday.

Bonus footage, commentary, and behind the scenes from Villeneuve and the other cast and crew.

HYPU!

Oscar Nominations will do that

BEST PICTURE
CINEMATOGRAPHY Bradford Young
DIRECTING Denis Villeneuve
FILM EDITING Joe Walker
PRODUCTION DESIGN Patrice Vermette
SOUND EDITING Sylvain Bellemare
SOUND MIXING Bernard Gariépy Strobl
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY) Eric Heisserer

Johannsson got robbed for score on technicalities
Adams no best actress lul

 

[antyk]

As a father of three, I really liked it - even shed a tear twice. Although some plot holes or side stories were annoying and if they somehow addressed or avoided them, that'd elevate the movie to the classic status.

Liked the movie.

I have a question about a plot point.
What was the deal with

Spoiler

finding out that the dying eptapod's final message was the twelth part of a complete code to "unlock" the language

and then not pursuit it?

Also, about the language

Spoiler

the consensus is that it makes you experience every single temporal instant of your life at the same time?

Spoiler

I think, since alien's 12-part message isn't really important for the plot, they simply skipped it but it is sort of implied - or even mentioned at some point, I think? - that countries were eventually exchanging those pieces of info between them and likely pieced it all together. What bothers me is how Renner's character really came to the conclusion that what they got is 1/12 of the whole? Aliens were 'painting' the message to the glass wall, but when he showed it in his computer it was in 3D space with width, height & depth. Then, how would he know how big is the 'box' containing full message and how densely packed the symbols are to calculate that what they have constitutes 1/12th?

Regarding language, I guess your interpretation is correct (at least aligns with mine ), but again I have issues with how they come to this. How do you go from "writing a sentence with 2 hands simultaneously from left and right requires you to know the number and length of words" to conclusion, that it means time is non-linear for them and they know the future? If I wanted to write a sentence using my both hands and even legs simultaneously I'd just need to know the sentence and practice my writing and spacing for a bit... That's it.

 

[tonysidaway]

I picked up the DVD for £5 in Morrison's, today. Having loved what Denis Villeneuve did with Blade Runner 2049 I was very eager to see more of his films.

I watched it with my family on a nice big screen in the living room. We all enjoyed it. I was particularly impressed with the sound and the score. Jóhann Jóhannsson earned his Golden Globe award for the latter.

As a fan of Doctor Who, I've always enjoyed this "wibbly wobbly, timey wimey" stuff, so there were no surprises and no false notes

I suppose I'm now going to read some more Ted Chiang, too.