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Film Essay: Arrival (2017)

Sci-fi adventure films coming out of Hollywood in last couple of years are exhibiting the elements of an art-project combined with a dark theme and very strong ethereal, emotional appeal. They are catering to an individual, rather than a group of spectators. These tales are more personal yet the elements they are associated with are universal. They are unifying force. They address a universal problem in general and being film-narratives always come out triumphant. As much as I was disappointed over my inability to discern the meaning and patterns of Nolan's Interstellar, I was equally fascinated by the scope, creative imagination and emotional schemes of it. It was an unforgettable cinematic experience. And the hero of the film, although personally despondent, was working for the benefits of humankind. In 2015, it was Deux-Ex Machina. Oscar Isaac and Alicia Wikander headlined it. It explored the narrative of AI-run-Robots and what they could possibly do to us humans if badly treated. It was a spectacular film, one with fabulous horror-movie feel and an ending that leaves you numb. But in 2016 came Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker and for the first time in last 7 months, I was teary-eyed at the conclusion of a feature film. Sci-fis aren't engineered to leave you emotionally distraught if they are not E.T. and it wasn't but it was certainly more personal and emotionally heaving with strong linguistic and global feel at its core. How many times do you experience a feeling when immediately after watching a film, you wanna watch it again? It's not exactly a feel where you don't want a film to ever end but it's altogether different. You wanna move on but would like to keep it as your companion. Absolutely enthralling. And Amy Adams once again proves that Hollywood might keep denying her credentials in field of acting but there will be enough storylines, character-arcs and Directors to keep her engrossed and in turn, us motivated.

For once, Academy has done a most wonderful thing by nominating this film for a best film Oscars and for doing that, I might even forgive them for snubbing Martin Scorsese's 'Silence' and it's headliner, Liam Neeson. Do watch 'Arrival' and try to look out for themes I talked about. It's liberating!!!!

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