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Arrival
Roger Ebert Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.
- GenresScience FictionFilm
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First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 8, 2017
The script is even better than the movie, and I'm still angry that it only won an Oscar for sound editing.
December 16, 2017
I nearly cried at the end, and I already knew how it ends. My god I love this story. And that ending. Jesus.
February 24, 2017
Eric Heisserer's screenplay for Arrival does exactly what I wanted Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life" to do, which is tell a more complete story. Maybe I felt this way about Chiang's story because I saw Arrival first and felt the story story lacking the fullness of the film, but I think it's the lack of humanity I noticed in the short story. Arrival plays its big moment at the end as a wonderful twist, a twist that is even stronger a second time, since you know the full depth of the story that is being told. I also found that Heisserer does a much better job focusing on the elements of Chiang's story that are truly moving, realizing the impact of the ideas Chiang only briefly hints upon. "Story of Your Life" is a fine short story that left me wanting more. Heisserer's screenplay gives me everything that was missing from that short story.
April 5, 2023
This was so good. It's crazy how different the script is from the movie, though!
December 7, 2025
Arrival written by Eric Heisserer and Ted Chiang, directed by Denis Villenueve was nominated for eight Academy Awards (it won just one), nine BAFTAs (again, only one win), and it won many prizes in 2017, speaking of which, this is the time for some self-promotion: you find more than six thousand notes on films from The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made and other web pages, plus reviews of magnum opera from The Greatest Books of All Time and other sites on my blog and YouTube channel https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... where you will be among the few, privileged visitors
9 out of 10
There is so much to enjoy in this feature, which was nominated for Best Motion Picture in 2017, when Moonlight https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... took the top prize, after the infamous confusion- La La Land had been first announced by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway
We have a different, outré, original approach here – perhaps outré and original are so close I should use just one of them, but who reads beyond the first lines, if they even take that trouble? – the leading role belongs to Amy Adams (divine as almost always) who plays a linguist, Louise Banks, we have not seen that before
Indeed, there is Close Encounters of The Third Kind https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... directed by Steven Spielberg, where we see how important language is, they use signs there – I have read about the way Spielberg and
Another motion picture that is about Aliens and the manner in which they show up everywhere is Signs, directed by Night Shyamalan, with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix in the lead roles, the plot in this one has very aggressive, dangerous, nay, deadly visitors, they only escape because they have water in glasses in the house
In Arrival, they show up in about a dozen places or more, and their space ships stay up in the air, raising the question ‘why send a few?’, if they have peaceful intentions, and the answer is that they must have some conquest or violent purpose, they have the army near those visitors and then try to understand what they say
War of The Worlds https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... by HG Wells was directed by Orson Welles for the public radio, about one hundred years ago, when it created a panic, people thought that the Martians have arrived and they are taking over, killing human beings and occupying the earth
Nonetheless, earthlings can bring about Armageddon by themselves, without outside help, they only need the likes of Putin, Kim of North Korea, Xi of China, Orange Woland of the US – I will move on from this movie, which I liked, in conclusion, and write about what happened yesterday, Friday, December 5, so you can leave
Not that anyone was still on the page, which is for the better, since this can work as a ‘confession’ of sorts – I do not sleep well, yesterday it was just 4 hours forty minutes, according to the smart watch, and then I wake up three times in that short period, so at 3 am I was thinking about using a different plan than the usual
I thought I will use the extra time to get to a sex worker, and then I did, but it did not work according to expectations, she was in some sort of work out pants, tall, which is my preference, but rather skinny, said she is not doing this for her pleasure, which I had known, but did not want to be told nevertheless, whatever it was, it triggered the switch off button
After the gym, I went again, to get the missing ‘happy ending’, expect here we go again, there was no ecstasy, and furthermore, it got late, the wind was blowing when I went back home on my bike and…I have a puncture and this means going back two miles, to the repair shop, it is the second such problem in three months, for a new bicycle…
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – I am on Goodreads as Realini Ionescu, at least for the moment, if I keep on expressing my views on Orange Woland aka TACO, it may be a short-lived presence
Also, maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the benefits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
9 out of 10
There is so much to enjoy in this feature, which was nominated for Best Motion Picture in 2017, when Moonlight https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... took the top prize, after the infamous confusion- La La Land had been first announced by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway
We have a different, outré, original approach here – perhaps outré and original are so close I should use just one of them, but who reads beyond the first lines, if they even take that trouble? – the leading role belongs to Amy Adams (divine as almost always) who plays a linguist, Louise Banks, we have not seen that before
Indeed, there is Close Encounters of The Third Kind https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... directed by Steven Spielberg, where we see how important language is, they use signs there – I have read about the way Spielberg and
Another motion picture that is about Aliens and the manner in which they show up everywhere is Signs, directed by Night Shyamalan, with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix in the lead roles, the plot in this one has very aggressive, dangerous, nay, deadly visitors, they only escape because they have water in glasses in the house
In Arrival, they show up in about a dozen places or more, and their space ships stay up in the air, raising the question ‘why send a few?’, if they have peaceful intentions, and the answer is that they must have some conquest or violent purpose, they have the army near those visitors and then try to understand what they say
War of The Worlds https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... by HG Wells was directed by Orson Welles for the public radio, about one hundred years ago, when it created a panic, people thought that the Martians have arrived and they are taking over, killing human beings and occupying the earth
Nonetheless, earthlings can bring about Armageddon by themselves, without outside help, they only need the likes of Putin, Kim of North Korea, Xi of China, Orange Woland of the US – I will move on from this movie, which I liked, in conclusion, and write about what happened yesterday, Friday, December 5, so you can leave
Not that anyone was still on the page, which is for the better, since this can work as a ‘confession’ of sorts – I do not sleep well, yesterday it was just 4 hours forty minutes, according to the smart watch, and then I wake up three times in that short period, so at 3 am I was thinking about using a different plan than the usual
I thought I will use the extra time to get to a sex worker, and then I did, but it did not work according to expectations, she was in some sort of work out pants, tall, which is my preference, but rather skinny, said she is not doing this for her pleasure, which I had known, but did not want to be told nevertheless, whatever it was, it triggered the switch off button
After the gym, I went again, to get the missing ‘happy ending’, expect here we go again, there was no ecstasy, and furthermore, it got late, the wind was blowing when I went back home on my bike and…I have a puncture and this means going back two miles, to the repair shop, it is the second such problem in three months, for a new bicycle…
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – I am on Goodreads as Realini Ionescu, at least for the moment, if I keep on expressing my views on Orange Woland aka TACO, it may be a short-lived presence
Also, maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the benefits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
March 28, 2020
Beautiful adaptation. From start to finish. Fantastic script.
March 26, 2025
I wanted to study this screenplay because it’s one of my favorite movies. Now having read the script, I feel that I understand why I love the movie so much more. The sci-fi is so grounded in real world experience and the themes that emerge, like the concept of time, significantly impact the structure of the plot. It is a beautifully woven piece of art that truly deserves all the flowers it’s received. It’s simple yet deeply intricate. It’s otherworldly yet entirely human.
July 6, 2021
Suffers from the Great Genre Problem (in which all dialogue stems from the needs of the plot and not the thoughts and actions of humanoid characters, thereby undermining the ability of [this reader] to suspend disbelief) but the ideas are good and doled out nicely and let’s be honest our species can use all the procreation propaganda we can get
Johann Johannsson’s soundtrack is an all-timer
Johann Johannsson’s soundtrack is an all-timer
March 6, 2024
I love the movie Arrival, and now I have been well entertained by this novella titled Story of Your Life, by Ted Chiang.
I actually read the novella, rather than the screenplay shown above, but it isn't a choice on Goodreads. It is available in Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang which I will probably read soon.
I actually read the novella, rather than the screenplay shown above, but it isn't a choice on Goodreads. It is available in Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang which I will probably read soon.
April 10, 2023
I actually read the novella and not the screenplay, but it only exists as part of collections on Goodreads unfortunately.
I absolutely adored this novella! It leaves you questioning free will, choice and our future, impacting the reader greatly!
Every lover of sci-fi needs to read this!
I absolutely adored this novella! It leaves you questioning free will, choice and our future, impacting the reader greatly!
Every lover of sci-fi needs to read this!
February 27, 2017
Excellent read
January 16, 2020
3.75/5.0
What an ending. A good screenplay for a great film, great adaption of a masterpiece.
What an ending. A good screenplay for a great film, great adaption of a masterpiece.
July 30, 2020
Reading this was almost more beautiful even than seeing it brought to life. An inspiration. Written with poetry.
September 28, 2020
Beautiful!
One of the best screenplay i ever read.
One of the best screenplay i ever read.
September 8, 2025
I get super emotional when I watch the film but reading the script somehow manages to get me close to that same feeling.
May 20, 2021
I honestly cannot wait to watch this film again and experience Denis' interpretation.
February 25, 2017
Heisserer has a monumental task of adapting a complex short story into an even more complex film, he pulled it off well. Anytime you have to deal with time jumps it's tough, but when it's bigger than the standard flashbacks & flash forwards it becomes even more difficult. Some of the dialogue felt a little unnatural but it wasn't a deal breaker.
August 3, 2019
Intriguing script. Helped me understand the movie better.
December 3, 2022
"She is both the happiest and the saddest right now.
Because she knows what happens next."
Because she knows what happens next."
April 23, 2017
My real rating is 4.5, the screenplay was just as moving as the movie, which can sometimes be difficult to pull off. The emotions were so vivid, and the screenplay gave insight to the characters in ways I missed while watching the film.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews