First Look at Arrival and a Hint About Tone and Scope

Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is set to screen at both Venice and hopefully Telluride (along with La La Land) perhaps delivering that one-two punch movies sometimes do on route to Oscar. Here, USA Today gives interested parties a glimpse as to what to expect. This is probably a good idea – get out in front of what will be a moody sci-fi along the lines of Close Encounters rather than a big budget, big explosion sci-fi the kids these days are used to seeing. That way, no one starts to imagine what the movie is before the movie “arrives.” I understand why this is necessary but I kind of wish it weren’t necessary. I like surprises – when you walk in not knowing anything about the movie you are going to see. But there is a reason for getting out in front of this information now.

USA Today has a bit more on that, with quotes from Renner and Adams.

The communication gap between people and extraterrestrials is reflected in the global community depicted in the movie, as countries share information while harboring different fears, agendas and political climates. “You see the divide in the unity with people across the world and what that does as well,” says Renner.

In terms of the aliens’ verbal and written language, “Denis and the team have done a great job with the visuals and getting to something that looks familiar and not completely abstract,” says Adams, who gets a close encounter when Louise insists on face time with the world’s new out-of-town guests.

Filming scenes with the aliens, the actress recalls working with “a very brightly lit white screen with these awesome puppeteers who ran around holding very long poles with big orbs on the end.”

Renner promises that they’re “not goofy creatures with guns who are going to kill us.” In fact, Adams adds, their look is “different than what you would have thought.”

Arrival feels like “if you blended a (Stanley) Kubrick and a (Steven) Spielberg movie,” Renner says, and instead of a “big Michael Bay alien movie,” the new film is more along the lines of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Contact.

“If you’re a parent, it’s going to wreck you,” he adds. “It’s big and there are thriller elements and tension, but it’s going to lean much more into a thinking person’s film.”