Vort Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Folks, that is an outstanding movie, probably the best and most enjoyable SF-themed film I have ever seen. I know it's two years old, but I don't care. It is a true work of art. Bittersweet, sad yet hopeful, and the emotion is always authentic. If not for the completely useless F-bomb dropped for no one knows what reason, I would have said it flirts with perfection. Amy Adams is easy enough on the eyes to be enjoyable to watch without her physical beauty taking over the scene and detracting from the goings-on. Same with Jeremy Renner. Forest Whitaker strikes exactly the right tone to make his role credible and important without becoming unsympathetic. This is an alien-invader movie that doesn't really care about the aliens, except to make them sufficiently strange to fit the needs of the story. All SF is really about people, not aliens, but very few SF films or shows have managed to get that right. Arrival gets it right. In addition to the obvious human (and humanistic) themes, some ideas are touched on that I think especially resonate with Latter-day Saints. (It may or may not be of note that Amy Adams was raised LDS.) Certainly there are obvious things like love for your child, the worth of the human soul even through sickness and death, and the sanctity of bonds between people. I also perceive the idea that our time-bound existence here is just a flattened representation of reality, and that a "God's-eye" view would reveal a different story. I also am charmed by the idea that the pain and even misery of life is a gift, part of our existence, something to be embraced and experienced rather than fled from. @anatess2 thought I would love the movie. She was right, of course, as I wrote when I first watched it. I guess I'm surprised that it is so rewatchable. I didn't see that would be the case, but it is. The beautiful soundtrack helps a lot, but it's more than that. The whole movie just works so well. Seriously, what a film, and not just if you're a linguistic geek. (Though that helps, too.) mordorbund, Midwest LDS, Jane_Doe and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane_Doe Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 I enjoyed it too... though it is a very out-of-the-ordinary film (a great and strange thing). Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday21 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 I loved this movie too! Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritDragon Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 I confess I get so busy in my own world I can't say that I was fully aware this movie existed. Your mention of Arrival had me thinking of the ABBA album, although watching it would be different. Thank you for the movie review. I really haven't watched any movies in the last three years since having our first child - date night at our house is watching an episode of "Call the Midwife" on Netflix lately. Should I venture out of our current routine I'll have to keep this movie in mind. Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 15 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said: I confess I get so busy in my own world I can't say that I was fully aware this movie existed. Your mention of Arrival had me thinking of the ABBA album, although watching it would be different. Thank you for the movie review. I really haven't watched any movies in the last three years since having our first child - date night at our house is watching an episode of "Call the Midwife" on Netflix lately. Should I venture out of our current routine I'll have to keep this movie in mind. It's included in an Amazon Prime Video subscription, if that makes it any easier. SpiritDragon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) I super love this movie! I've watched it probably 10 times at least. Even after the 10th viewing it still makes me mad that Renner's character was super stupid in response to the challenges he faced (trying not to spoil this movie for those who haven't seen it). My favorite part is the super spot on depiction of language as an extension of culture and that learning a language is not just knowing words... it's understanding people. My son loves the soundtrack. He thinks it is brilliant in the use of sounds and music to portray a movie where major characters can't dialogue or emote like usual. Edited August 23, 2018 by anatess2 Vort and Backroads 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 10 hours ago, SpiritDragon said: I confess I get so busy in my own world I can't say that I was fully aware this movie existed. Your mention of Arrival had me thinking of the ABBA album, although watching it would be different. Thank you for the movie review. I really haven't watched any movies in the last three years since having our first child - date night at our house is watching an episode of "Call the Midwife" on Netflix lately. Should I venture out of our current routine I'll have to keep this movie in mind. Meanwhile... in the anatess2 household, we just signed up for the AMC pass where we get 3 movies every week for the price of $20/month. Each week starts on Friday. Today, Thursday, we're debating whether to fork over the money for full-price tickets or exercise super self-control and wait until tomorrow... thanks to Crazy Rich Asians that we had to watch twice this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) Renner's worst line is the F-bomb, for sure. Unnecessary, out of place, useless. His second-worst line was when he argued with a straight face that science, not language, was the foundation of civilization. I don't believe any physicist would ever say such a moronic thing, no matter how much he liked his wavefront equations. Other than that, it was a smartly written and well-acted part. Whitaker's colonel (I assume that was his rank; I don't remember how he was addressed, and I didn't see any rank insignia) really iced the cake. His was not a bit part, but it was a supporting role, not really a starring role (even though his name was on the posters). Nevertheless, the role was disproportionally important because his actions set the background for all the actions around him, especially those of the two principals. His delivery was really pitch-perfect. He should have won an award for his supporting role. Edited August 23, 2018 by Vort anatess2 and Sunday21 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritDragon Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 10 hours ago, Vort said: It's included in an Amazon Prime Video subscription, if that makes it any easier. I just did a search for it, but it appears not to be in the Amazon Prime video library in Canada right now. That's alright though, I'm sure I can find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 It's funny how much more positive I am toward this film than I was when I first saw it 19 or so months ago. I enjoyed the movie, but found more flaws with it at that time. I remember being very turned off by their insistently negative portrayal of Fox News (though unnamed) and of conservative reactionaries. Doesn't bother me as much now, for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, Vort said: Renner's worst line is the F-bomb, for sure. Unnecessary, out of place, useless. His second-worst line was when he argued with a straight face that science, not language, was the foundation of civilization. I don't believe any physicist would ever say such a moronic thing, no matter how much he liked his wavefront equations. Other than that, it was a smartly written and well-acted part. Whitaker's colonel (I assume that was his rank; I don't remember how he was addressed, and I didn't see any rank insignia) really iced the cake. His was not a bit part, but it was a supporting part. Nevertheless, it was disproportionally important, because his actions set the background for all the actions around him, especially those of the two principles. He was really pitch-perfect in this role. He should have won an award for his supporting role. Agree about Renner. But his moronic elements (including his reaction to the challenge I mentioned) were a perfect foil for the heroine without being cliche so besides the f-bomb, I think he was written just right. A character that can get me that mad is a well-written character. And yeah, Whitaker was a colonel. Colonel Weber. Backroads and Vort 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zil Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 6 minutes ago, Vort said: I remember being very turned off by their insistently negative portrayal of Fox News (though unnamed) and of conservative reactionaries. Doesn't bother me as much now, for some reason. Commie! Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Just now, zil said: Commie! Even my underwear is pink. I really need to separate my laundry. zil and Sunday21 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Vort said: Even my underwear is pink. I really need to separate my laundry. Stop with that Russian collusion already! Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 4 hours ago, anatess2 said: Even after the 10th viewing it still makes me mad that Renner's character was super stupid in response to the challenges he faced (trying not to spoil this movie for those who haven't seen it). The challenge to which Renner's character reacted (or would react) badly was his wife's duplicity in hiding something from him, not in the tragic thing itself. anatess2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) 12 minutes ago, Vort said: The challenge to which Renner's character reacted (or would react) badly was his wife's duplicity in hiding something from him, not in the tragic thing itself. Slight nuance - duplicity from his perspective, letting natural human events unfold without the added complexity of her super-powers from her perspective. But even if we just dilute it to simple duplicity his reaction still makes me mad. It's just too weak and selfish especially in the light of the tragedy. I have to admit, I compare heroes to "what my husband would do" and this is something my husband would never do to his children regardless of how stupid I get. And now you got me worked up over the movie again. Hah hah. Yeah, that's an indication that it was a good movie. Edited August 23, 2018 by anatess2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fether Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 18 hours ago, Vort said: probably the best and most enjoyable SF-themed film I have ever seen Just finished it... the movie brought me a strong sense of reverence and contemplation. It was a very calm, yet thrilling movie. It was so good. Thanks for telling us about it. Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) It's all about new ways to deliver the feels. Even for critters that spend their entire lives perceiving their friend's death, you still get sad when it actually happens. Edited August 23, 2018 by NeuroTypical Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 27 minutes ago, Fether said: Just finished it... the movie brought me a strong sense of reverence and contemplation. It was a very calm, yet thrilling movie. It was so good. Thanks for telling us about it. The second-best-ever SF-themed movie may well be the ultralow-budget thriller Primer. Word on the street is that it cost a whopping $7000 -- that's seven thousand dollars -- to make. It is the best, most gripping, least eye-rolling time-travel film I have ever seen. Very, very, very good, though not as pretty as Arrival or other high-budget films. Doesn't matter; the writing, acting, and directing are so good that you don't even notice. Backroads 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 I purchased this without ever even seeing it in theatres (never got around to that) because I just already sensed I would love it (plus the Amazon digital version tend to have a respectable sale in the beginning). I really do love this movie. I really don't feel too much hatred for Renner's character because the vast, vast majority of the movie he is a most likable character. I think he was being human, with human vulnerabilities and heartbreak. I also watched Primer after falling through an internet rabbit hole (I want to say it began with me researching the movie Coherence which is also a spectacular sci-fi movie with nothing more high-tech than you would find on a nice-but-modest stage play but I do have trouble recommending it on this board due to a high amount of intense language but I still probably would call it the eeriest and best multi-universe movie I've ever seen so here is me not officially recommending Coherence). Anywho, looking for opinions on that movie led me to a great blog written by a very Christian gentleman with a love for mind-messing movies who could not say enough good things about Primer. Now that is a mind-messing movie. Back to Arrival. I really do love pretty much everything about this movie. It has such a wonderful emotional impact that gets better as you ponder on it. Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 6 minutes ago, Backroads said: Back to Arrival. I really do love pretty much everything about this movie. It has such a wonderful emotional impact that gets better as you ponder on it. The ending was elegantly understated, and all the more powerful for it. "Do you want to make a baby?" "Yes. Yes, I do." Backroads 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zil Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 On 8/22/2018 at 9:35 PM, Vort said: Folks, that is an outstanding movie, probably the best and most enjoyable SF-themed film I have ever seen. Well, I hope you're pleased with yourself. My copy arrived today - it was all of $3.99 on Amazon. Just in case it's not so great, I ordered the 7th season of Vera (for way too much, but British shows always cost too much). And just in case neither of them was sufficient, I got a Wing Sung 601 fountain pen and a notebook with Tomoe River paper in it. Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Ok Zil, here's your job - fountain pen us up a quick sketch of what happened to you when Costello tells you what happened to Abbot. zil and Vort 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted November 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 21 minutes ago, zil said: Well, I hope you're pleased with yourself. My copy arrived today - it was all of $3.99 on Amazon. Just in case it's not so great, I ordered the 7th season of Vera (for way too much, but British shows always cost too much). And just in case neither of them was sufficient, I got a Wing Sung 601 fountain pen and a notebook with Tomoe River paper in it. Please tell us whether you found it great, not-so-great, awful, or something else. zil 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zil Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 7 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said: Ok Zil, here's your job - fountain pen us up a quick sketch of what happened to you when Costello tells you what happened to Abbot. It occurs to me, after the fact, that you're talking about the movie I haven't watched yet, and not about "Who's on First?". Vort and NeuroTypical 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.