Dazzle them with the basics.

I don't want to know. Ever. I've got enough to worry about as it is.

Overwhelmingly joyous, or heart-crushingly awful, please, whatever you do, don't ruin the ending. Whether we're talking a DVR'd sporting event or a new theatrical release, the less I know the better. And if this happens to be Big Fish and you're the old lady with the eye, do us both a favor, and don't flip up that patch. There's not a single cell in my brain curious to know when my heart will beat its last beat.

But when we do get to the end, when the big show's over and the house lights come on? At that point? Yeah...

...feel free to explain everything to me.  And don't leave anything out.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of many of the events in director Denis Velleneuve's latest film, Arrival, but I'm quite positive I loved what they coalesced into. Bordering on hypnotic, this mysterious piece of science fiction has stayed with me long after the credits rolled. And try as I might, I can't seem to shake much of what I saw...even if I can't make sense of it.

Amy Adams is Dr. Louise Banks ('plays' felt like the wrong word), a linguistics professor quietly trudging through life at a small university. Shortly after twelve massive spacecraft appear all over the globe, the United States military recruits Dr. Banks in an attempt to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Banks is reluctant, but knows she is the best person for this impossible mission. Moments after taking the job, Banks is whisked away to Montana, where the 1,500 foot ship awaits her.

Like falling down a rabbit hole in glorious slo-motion, Arrival has this dreamlike trajectory that is simultaneously serene and utterly intense. At first glance, a film about the relationship between words (and time?) may not seem like something to propel one to the edge of their stadium seat, but exhausted as I was, that's where I found myself. Every action, every conversation, Hell, just about every moment carries a weight that's rare in a mainstream science fiction film. From start to finish, everything matters. 

Why do I feel like a hook or a blade should slide out of her sleeve right now?
(Oh, right. Because I'm stupid.)

Outside of the poster and a few trailers, I really didn't know what to expect from Arrival, and if you haven't seen it, go ahead and close down now (though, trust me, I couldn't spoil the ending if I tried). And even if you aren't planning on seeing the film, I'm sure leaving this site is sound advice regardless. Even if life is a limitless plain of time and space....

That said, here are the Yays and Boos. Or is that the Boos and Yays? At this point, I don't think I understand the order of just about anything, anymore. Though Arrival may have little to do with that, actually...

Unlike me, Louise isn't easily rattled. 

Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

• The performances are uniformly fantastic. With a welcome level of intimacy in this film, each performer is allowed to create real people dealing with something very unreal.
• For what seems like forever, at least initially, we don't get to see them. And it's fantastic. But when we do? It doesn't disappoint.
• Forest Whitaker. No one brings urgency to a given situation like he does. Good thing Amy Adams is there to calm him (and us) the Hell down.
• Man, that overhead shot leading to the landing site was fantastic. The scope of what we're seeing left me awestruck. 
• As did the score. As moderately terrifying as it is, it's also kind of beautiful. Were those whale noises? Or was just the sound of Earth dying? Either way I want more of it.
• As a teacher, I adored the explanation of teaching someone a question. Especially teaching someone from another planet (remember, I'm a middle school teacher).
• I will endlessly applaud that the lack of guns in this film made me more nervous.
• The ascent into the chamber still has me shook (same with the glow stick toss).
• I'm not sure if China, ultimately, is the good guy or the villain, but I do know they're ready to bomb their monolith straight to Hell. I was hoping they'd send in their three-armed jaeger, Crimson Typhoon, but no such luck. Still, I appreciate that someone wanted to spice things up (seemed more realistic than all this take our time and let smart people figure it out nonsense).
• There are so many clues as to what is actually going on here, that I'm dying to see this movie again. My favorite? Mommy and Daddy talk to animals.
• And finally, few times have I just wanted to the lights to come on in the theater and we all just talk about what we've just seen, but this was certainly one of them. Luckily, I had my sister with me to get the ball rolling, and she was super helpful and thoughtful, but I wanted more. An older woman seemed poised to join us, but her husband shushed her along before she took a seat. Ah, maybe next time!

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Of all the Avengers, we went Hawkeye?
Personally, I think Thor would have been more useful.
Or Banner...

Boooooooooo!

• In the Saddest Opening Montage event, Up is now accepting the silver.
• So, I'm so on edge early on, that a minor fender bender almost made me do a friggin' backflip. Goodness.
• Apparently, Dr. Banks is that college professor that holds class regardless. (though I adored that she made it there without knowing)
• Okay, so can we all agree there's nothing creepier than unrelenting sirens combined with hazmat suits, right? Like, possessed women crawling down the stairs like backwards spiders is spooky, sure, but this? The controlled end of the world? *shudder*
• No lie, someone went to the bathroom during the initial ascent into the spaceship. Like, when they were slowly creeping up into the belly of the beast. I thought we were supposed to be shitting our pants metaphorically.
• The meaning of kangaroos was great trivia. Until it wasn't.
• It's odd, she takes her mask off and I'm the one who can't breathe.
• I don't even know where to begin specifically, but...I have sooo many questions. Probably more than I should (more on that in a minute)...
• Look, I'm trying to bury this here, but Forest Whitaker is all kinds of ridiculous. If that was supposed to be Boston, well, it wasn't all that wicked pissah.
• And finally, I made the fateful decision to go see this movie on a Friday night, at ten o'clock, after teaching a full day. Friends, there used to be a time I could function on weekday evening. That day has come and gone. What I'm trying to say is...I blinked. A lot. And sometimes, I did this blinking thing very, very slowly (but I didn't fall asleep! [says everyone, ever])

It seems now more than ever, being able to communicate with unlike creatures is paramount to the survival of our planet. We can try to listen to each other, try to understand the finer points of messages...or we can simply blow everything to Hell. And honestly, there's part of me that doesn't care either way, as the problem seems entirely out of my hands at this point.

Just let me know that my kids are going to be okay...okay?



Wait. I don't like knowing the endings ahead of time. Which is good. Because I don't plan on being around for their's anyway.