Denis Villenueve is one of the most promising new directors to emerge in the last few years. His latest film, Arrival, could be his best shot yet of getting into the Oscar race. And t would definitely be very deserving.

On the surface, the film seems very similar to Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, a film that I really enjoyed. On the one hand, Nolan’s film had a stronger visual style, but this film feels a little more cleverly written. Expect a screenplay nomination.

Actually, expect a lot of nominations across the board. The sound design and effects are very well executed, and the score is just amazing. We might be looking at an Oscar for composer Johan Johansson.

The film can be awfully confusing at times, but it has a strong message and it ends on a very powerful note. This is one of those ‘thinking’ films that opens up a lot of interesting questions.

Amy Adams’ performance is very good, but I’m not entirely sure if it’s gonna make a big presence in an incredibly crowded Best Actress race. Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker are given little to do, but they play their parts well.

I’ll admit, I was going to give this film four and a half stars, but something tells me that this is one of those movies that improves upon multiple viewings.

*****