This week I had the privilege of pitching online magazine, Horatio (www.hellohoratio.com), an idea for a rather timely article about the new film, Arrival. In particular, I wanted to write about the fact that this film, with its fresh take on first contact with aliens, lanced in the box officed on the perfect weekend as our nation emerges from one of the most divisive elections in our history. Horatio's editor liked the idea and the article was published yesterday. I am excited to hear more about how people are reacting to one of the most compelling and moving major science fiction feature films since Children of Men. In chatting with people on Twitter, it seems I'm not the only who thinks Arrival might just take home Best Picture in the spring.
Still frame from Arrival, distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Here's a brief except from the article I wrote for Horatio:
Arrival suggests that our limited and subjective experiences of reality are seldom, if ever, the whole picture. As the world teeters on the edge of self-destruction, Dr. Bank's [Amy Adams] profoundly personal, subjective journey of discovery offers up the unlikely but necessary solution. If we could break past our individual knowledge and linguistic barriers, maybe we could experience not an alien encounter, but the experience of truly understanding other human beings as we are able to understand our own journeys. In Arrival, there is no us versus them once the limitation of linear time is lifted. Maybe that’s all heaven is?
On a more personal note, Arrival pulled me in instantly with the use of Max Richter's musical track, "On the Nature of Daylight." I know the song well since it was in my playlist on Spotify of music I had on loop while writing my most challenging and rewarding short film to date, "Parallel."
Did you see Arrival? What are your thoughts?
