Review: Arrival - a special film best watched cold

Review: Arrival - a special film best watched cold

Multiple Oscar-nominee Amy Adams could snaffle yet another, with two awards-worthy outings hitting Kiwi cinemas this weekend.

One is Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals, the other is sci-fi movie Arrival.

It's been a long time since I was stranded in a dark cinema weeping inconsolably well after the final credits have rolled - the power of great cinema.

You know how I like to bang on every now and again about how less is more, how with some very special films, knowing nothing is a very good thing? Arrival is one of those films.

Of course in this day and age of trailer after trailer for new releases, knowing nothing is nigh on impossible, but I beg you to try.

For my part, I want to review this film in the main so I can encourage as many to see it as I can, while trying to give away as little as I can about the story.

So here are the barest of bones.

Amy Adams is a linguist called on to help communicate with visitors from another world. Her job is to make us understood and to understand them - ultimately, to ask that one big question, why are they here?

Director Denis Villeneuve answers that question by asking another, why are we here?

That's it. That's all you're getting from me, no more.

Know this though. I found this film profoundly affecting. It blew my mind and broke my heart, combining to restore my faith in all the miraculous little things that make us who we are, which make us human.

This week of all weeks, I feel like we all need a reminder of that.

Five stars.

     Arrival:: Director: Denis Villeneuve :: Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma, Mark O'Brien, Abigail Pniowsky:: Rating: M - Offensive language:: Running Time: 116 minutes:: Release Date: In cinemas now

Newshub.