Moonlight

MOONLIGHT
2016 | Dir. Barry Jenkins | 111 Minutes

"You could be gay, but you don't got to let nobody call you no faggot."

Chiron, a shy African-American child nicknamed "Little" growing up in an impoverished South Miami neighborhood is antagonized by bullies and his emotionally abusive drug addict mother. A local pusher forms a positive bond with Little and quickly becomes a father figure to the boy but he soon realizes his business directly harms Little. As a teenager, Chiron becomes aware that he is sexually attracted to his childhood friend Kevin, but a violent incident involving Kevin drives him to retaliate against a tormentor. Several years later, now going a drug dealer going by the moniker "Black," Chiron reconnects with Kevin.

Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on MacArthur Fellow Tarell Alvin McCraney's semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, Moonlight is a work of true cinematic art. Jenkins' screenplay elegantly tells a deeply personal story of emotional conflict and personal discovery, chronicling Chiron’s journey into manhood, exploring what it means to be a man without providing a limiting definition. Admirably, Jenkins' direction never crosses over into heavy-handedness, a common pitfall countless great film directors still fail to avoid. Cinematographer James Laxton, and film editors Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon, have done commendable work in creating the three-act story, every frame a striking painting, each expertly timed sequence seamlessly flowing to the next. Also notable are composer Nicholas Britell's moving film score, Jenkins' expert use of diegetic music, and a recurring beach and ocean motif signifying Chiron's contentment.

Three talented actors playing Chiron for each of the narrative's three acts, each delivering their own unique take on the character. Child actor Alex Hibbert portrays Little with a moving quality of youthful innocence. Ashton Sanders is convincing as the teenage Chiron, a confused young man on the cusp of adulthood seething with anger just under the surface. As Black, Trevante Rhodes successfully demonstrates Chiron's transformation to what is virtually the inverse of Sanders' Chiron, a gentle soul encased in a rough abrasive exterior.

Though less dramatically notable than his counterpart, the part of Kevin is also played by three actors for each act of the story with Jaden Piner as Kevin as a child, Jharrel Jerome as teenage Kevin, and André Holland as the adult Kevin. Breaking type for the first time in her film career, the typically affable Naomie Harris is convincingly frightening and heartbreaking as Chiron's drug-addled mother Paula. Though he only appears during the first act of the film, Mahershala Ali leaves a lasting impression as Juan, bringing real pathos to the atypical role of a drug dealer who contains multitudes. Singer Janelle Monáe makes her film acting debut and delivers a likeable natural performance as Juan's attractive and emotionally supportive girlfriend Teresa. The film also features young actor Patrick Decile as archetypal school bully Terrel.

Visually stunning, featuring an extraordinary cast of young and veteran performers, Barry Jenkins' Moonlight is a remarkable motion picture. Though its narrative focuses on the life of one individual without straying far from one specific geographical region, the film's emotional scope is astonishingly grand, exploring numerous facets of personal identity discovered and transformed by time and pressure - both personal and societal.


FRAGMENTS
-  Roughly 80% of the film was shot on location in the real-life poverty-stricken Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida

- Janelle Monáe and Mahershala Ali also appear in Hidden Figures, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017


007 CONNECTIONS
- Naomie Harris (Moneypenny in Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time To Die)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Mahershala Ali (Eric Brooks in Blade)

Manchester by the Sea

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
2016 | Dir. Kenneth Lonergan | 137 Minutes

"I can't beat it."

Lee Chandler, an emotionally withdrawn man working a menial job, travels back to his hometown when his brother suffers a fatal heart attack. Temporarily caring for his nephew Patrick, Lee learns his brother had named him Patrick's legal guardian. Haunted by a tragic past mistake, with no desire to stay in his hometown despite Patrick's insistence, Lee reluctantly faces his demons.

A character study of a damaged man who quietly but adamantly refuses to forgive himself, Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea is a deceptively powerful film. Unexpectedly given the legal obligation to look after his recently-orphaned nephew Patrick with several incentives to begin a new life in his hometown, Lee makes it clear that he would consider any living arrangement that would not require him to stay in town - with or without his nephew. Lee can't make small talk, preferring to drift through the rest of his days with minimal human interaction outside of provoking the occasional bar fight. Artfully, Lonergan's narrative alternates between Lee's present, doing a poor job of helping his nephew cope with loss, and his seemingly happier (if dysfunctional) past leading up to the earth-shattering event that cost him his family. The reveal and subsequent fallout are nothing short of operatic.

In a performance exclusively consisting of subtle choices, Casey Affleck is absolutely captivating as the sullen Lee, every movement furtively taken as if poisoned by the winter air surrounding him in every frame of the film. His co-star Lucas Hedges, playing nephew Chandler, perfectly complements Affleck's turn with defiant youthful energy. Though her screen time is limited, Michelle Williams delivers one of the best performances of the film (in a film rich with wonderful performances) playing Lee's heartbroken ex-wife. As Patrick's estranged mother, Gretchen Mol plays the dramatic foil to Affleck's Lee, a recovering alcoholic seeking redemption, trying to recover what remains of her family. Seasoned actor Kyle Chandler is expectedly reliable appearing in flashbacks as Casey's brother Joe. The film also features C.J. Wilson, Kara Hayward, Anna Baryshnikov, and Heather Burns in small but notable supporting roles. Amusingly, Matthew Broderick appears in one scene as Patrick's off-putting religious step-father.

Driven by a nuanced but powerful performance by Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea presents its audience with considerably challenging dramatic questions: At what point would one deserve forgiveness for a fatally devastating mistake that resulted in tragic personal loss? Is living with irreparable loss punishment enough? As compelling as it is contemplative, the picture does not offer any easy answers. It is a story of slow, agonizing defeat. Sometimes, one cannot go home again.


FRAGMENTS
- Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan's screenplay for the film was featured on the 2014 Black List (The Black List is an annual survey of the most-liked Hollywood movie scripts not yet produced)

- Lonergan makes a cameo appearance as a pedestrian who makes a sarcastic remark regarding Lee's poor parenting

- Producer Matt Damon was set to direct or star in the film during various points of its development but declined both opportunities due to scheduling conflicts

- Stephen Henderson, who has a small part as Lee's boss, also appears in Fences, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017

Lion

LION
2016 | Dir. Garth Davis | 118 Minutes

"Do you have any idea what it's like knowing my real brother and mother spend every day of their lives looking for me?"

In 1986, a young boy named Saroo from a remote village in India is separated from his family after falling asleep on a train to Kolkata. After surviving on the streets alone, Saroo finds himself in an orphanage and a benevolent Australian couple adopts him. Twenty years later, Saroo's friends encourage him to search for his native village and birth family using Google Earth. His search puts strain on his interpersonal relationships as feelings of guilt for living an entitled life in relative comfort consume him.

Based on Saroo Brierley's non-fiction memoir A Long Way Home, the first half of Lion, director Garth Davis' feature debut, is a harrowing cinematic journey as poor lost Saroo dodges adults with sinister intentions at seemingly every turn. While still engaging, the second half of the picture isn't nearly as viscerally captivating, much of it focused on Saroo's internal struggle as he searches for a vital missing piece of his personal identity. Instead of focusing on Saroo's research process, the narrative is exclusively centered on the drama between Saroo and his loved ones in Australia as the frustration from his seemingly hopeless quest causes him to alienate them. Though presented in the most saccharine possible, the film's ending in which Saroo is reunited with his Indian family is well-earned after the filmmakers put the audience through the emotional wringer.

As Saroo Brierley, Dev Patel spends most of his screen time during the second half of the film shifting between in anguish and frustration. Though he makes it easy for the audience to empathize with Saroo, it is also difficult to watch and, at times, exhausting. Nicole Kidman and David Wenham play Sue and John Brierley, Saroo's adoptive parents. Kidman does most of the dramatic heavy lifting as a virtually infallible maternal figure. As girlfriend Lucy, Rooney Mara's role mostly serves to pile on extra emotional stakes for Saroo's search and never really becomes a fully realized character. Divian Ladwa plays Saroo's psychologically damaged adoptive brother Mantosh, a dramatic foil to Saroo that is mostly underutilized in the film.

The true star of the picture is 8-year-old Sunny Pawar. Pawar is extraordinary playing young Saroo, demonstrating incredible range for an actor his age, perfectly establishing the formative tragic events that occurred early in Saroo's life. His accidental journey from Khandwa to Kolkata and the series of hardships he suffered there are the strongest sequences of the film thanks in no small part to his performance.

Lion is truly a great film but unfortunately, the sense of immediate urgency captured so perfectly during the first hour of its narrative seemingly slips away in its second half. Based on true events, Saroo Brierley's story is moving and undeniably epic. The picture explores the basic human need to know and understand ones origins, occasionally calling into question but ultimately broadening the definition of family.


FRAGMENTS
- The film ends with a note encouraging viewers to visit the picture's official website (now defunct) for information on how to help protect street children around the world

- Nicole Kidman was handpicked by the real-life Sue Brierley to play her in the film

- Nicole Kidman and David Wenham previously appeared together in Baz Luhrmann's Australia

- Director Garth Davis was a camera operator for the 60 Minutes television special on Saroo's story

La La Land

LA LA LAND
2016 | Dir. Damien Chazelle | 128 Minutes

"Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here's to the hearts that ache. Here's to the mess we make."

After several chance encounters, aspiring actress Mia and struggling Jazz pianist Sebastian fall in love.  While Mia and Sebastian mutually encourage each other to pursue their respective dreams, their relationship deteriorates when Sebastian sets aside his plan to open a jazz club after he finds steady lucrative work playing with a popular band, while success continues to elude Mia.

From its ambitious one-take opening number on a stretch of Los Angeles highway to the intimate tribute to dreamers performed by Mia before the film's incredible finale, Damien Chazelle's La La Land is a masterpiece consisting of brilliant choreography, boisterous music by Chazelle’s regular collaborator Justin Hurwitz, and profound emotional depth. Uplifting musical numbers aside, the film's central love story plays out in a believable fashion from start to end, perfectly capturing the excitement, which can feel as surreal as a waltz among the stars, and the quiet tragedy of a fleeting romance. The film's epilogue cleverly offers the audience a glimpse at an alternate, more typically Hollywood ending, before pulling back to reality. The picture suggests that big dreams are unattainable without a reasonable amount of compromise.

Emma Stone is sweet, fun, and heartbreaking as Mia, perfect for the part in both the physically demanding song and dance numbers, and the quieter somber moments of the narrative. Building upon his cool guy persona, Ryan Gosling is extraordinarily charming as Sebastian, convincingly passionate whenever Sebastian speaks about jazz and its importance. Together, Stone and Gosling are absolutely magnetic, equal parts adorable, hilarious, and tragically sweet. The film also features acclaimed recording artist John Legend as Sebastian's friend Keith, Rosemarie DeWitt as Sebastian's concerned sister, and character actor J.K. Simmons in a small but amusing turn as a disgruntled restaurant owner.

Technically impressive and an absolute delight, La La Land is a classic-style Hollywood musical behind a starkly modern lens. The film has some poignant things to say about the value of holding onto one's dreams and the reality of accepting compromise. It's one of the rare films that should be a surefire crowd-pleaser for dreamers and cynics alike.


FRAGMENTS
- Written by director Damien Chazelle 2010, film studios were not interested producing La La Land until Chazelle's Whiplash proved to be a success

- Emma Watson and Miles Teller were originally set to play the Mia and Sebastian but scheduling conflicts (Watson) and unsuccessful contract negotiations (Teller) lead Chazelle to recast the roles

MCU CONNECTIONS

- J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Hidden Figures

HIDDEN FIGURES
2016 | Dir. Theodore Melfi | 127 Minutes

"Separate and equal are two different things. Just 'cause it's the way, doesn't make it right."

After Russia successfully launches a satellite into space, NASA Langley Research Center computer Katherine Goble is transferred from the segregated West Area Computers division to the all-white, predominantly male Space Task Group. Despite Goble's extraordinary mathematical talent, her new colleagues discriminate against her in both subtle and blatant ways. Dorothy Vaughan, fulfilling the duties of a supervisor at the West Area Computers division without the appropriate title or compensation, requests to be officially promoted to supervisor but is constantly denied by NASA management as the facility prepares to install a brand new IBM console. Aspiring engineer Mary Jackson goes to court to fight for the right to attend classes at the University of Virginia in order to apply for NASA engineering positions for which she is already more than qualified.

Adapted from Margot Lee Shetterly's non-fiction book Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race, Theodore Melfi's picture is a thorough examination of the prejudice faced by perhaps the most brilliant women who worked for NASA during the Cold War. Hidden Figures is centered mostly on the struggles of Katherine Goble but the feature also weaves the hardship experienced by Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson into its narrative. Heavy-handed in some instances but always captivating, the film covers a broad range of civil rights issues, from the absurdity of maintaining segregated restrooms to the institutionalized denial of opportunities to persons of color. Following an impassioned speech from Goble explaining how she must travel far from her desk to find a restroom she is allowed to use, in an incredibly dramatized but very effective scene, STG director Al Harrison takes a crowbar to a "Colored Ladies Room" sign,  knocking it down and declaring that "Here at NASA, we all pee the same color."

The film features a trio of fantastic performances from Taraji P. Henson, the always excellent Octavia Spencer, and singer-turned-actress Janelle Monáe as Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson respectively. Henson plays Katherine as a soft-spoken but absolutely brilliant woman whose frustrations are just boiling under the surface. Spencer is a pleasure to watch as Vaughan, delivering some of the best lines of the film whether imparting wisdom onto her children or addressing the passive racism of Kirsten Dunst's passively racist computer group supervisor Vivian Mitchell. Monáe is radiant as the forward-thinking Jackson, a woman who never passes up an opportunity to speak her mind. The film also features the ever-reliable Kevin Costner as STG director Al Harrison, The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons as spiteful STG head engineer Paul Stafford, Glen Powell as legendary astronaut John Glenn, Mahershala Ali as Katherine Goble's eventual husband Jim Johnson, and Olek Krupa as Jackson's engineering mentor Karl Zielinski.

A well-crafted film centered on three lesser known heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, NASA, and space flight, Hidden Figures skillfully tells the stories of Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. The feature is elevated by an excellent cast and does a fantastic job in promoting the importance of fostering diversity and STEM education among everyone without discrimination.


FRAGMENTS
- Set at NASA in 1961, the film depicts segregated facilities however, segregated facilities were abolished in 1958 when NACA reorganized into NASA

- In reality, Dorothy Vaughan was promoted to supervisor of West Computing in 1949, over a decade before the film's 1961 setting

- Also before the film's 1961 setting, Mary Jackson completed her engineering courses and earned a promotion to engineer in 1958, becoming NASA’s first black female engineer

- The character of Al Harrison was created to simplify the complex management structure of the Space Task Group

- The characters of Vivian Mitchell and Paul Stafford are composites of several NASA staff members

- The character of Karl Zielinski is based on Mary Jackson's real life mentor Kazimierz "Kaz" Czarnecki

- Janelle Monáe and Mahershala Ali also appear in Moonlight, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Mahershala Ali (Eric Brooks in Blade)

Hell or High Water

HELL OR HIGH WATER
2016 | Dir. David Mackenzie | 102 Minutes

"To watch you pay those bastards with their own money, if that ain't Texan I don’t know what is."

To pay off the reverse mortgage on their late mother's ranch, brothers Toby and Tanner rob branches of the local Texas bank that provided the predatory loan. Toby is desperate but level-headed, carefully planning each robbery and devising a method to launder the money, while Tanner is brash and impulsive. Hot on their trail are Texas Rangers Marcus Hamilton and Alberto Parker, the final case for Hamilton before retirement.

Hell or High Water is a captivating contemporary take on the movie western made more relevant by weaving in the damage to the American housing market and overall economy inflicted by the greed of the banking industry. David Mackenzie's film features a desolate Texan landscape of failing farms and struggling businesses populated with nuanced, well-rounded, and downright eccentric characters. Although they are on the wrong side of the law, the audience is led to sympathize with the brothers on some levels (at least until Tanner's penchant for violence crosses over into outright murder), painting the faceless institutions that failed them as the true villains of the narrative. Perfectly setting the tone, the picture's soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is fittingly Texan and grim.

Chris Pine makes for a solid leading man as the reasonable brother Toby. However, Pine's performance is outshined by Ben Foster's Tanner. Foster completely owns the part of a self-proclaimed Comanche, an enemy to all, even to himself, providing pathos and dimension to a character that could have been played as a straight-forward psychopath. Jeff Bridges effortlessly fits the part of grizzled Texas Ranger Hamilton, casually trading racist jabs with Gil Birmingham's Alberto, the duo exhibiting an amusing and very natural chemistry.

Hell or High Water is an impactful and thrilling Texas crime drama unfolding in the present post-mortgage crisis landscape. In the same vein as films like the Coen Brothers' No Country For Old Men, it's the kind of neo-western in which all that remains of the frontier is a wasteland and the old gunslinger archetypes are a dying breed.

FRAGMENTS

- Chris Pine and Ben Foster previously appeared together in The Finest Hours

- The film's writer Taylor Sheridan makes a cameo appearance as a cowboy

- The screenplay was voted the best Black List script in 2012 (The Black List is an annual survey of the most-liked Hollywood movie scripts not yet produced)

- Though set in Texas, the film was shot in New Mexico

MCU CONNECTIONS
- Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane in Iron Man)

- Dale Dickey (Mrs. Davis in Iron Man 3)

Hacksaw Ridge

HACKSAW RIDGE
2016 | Dir. Mel Gibson | 139 Minutes

"Please Lord, help me get one more. Help me get one more."

During World War II, devout Seventh-day Adventist Desmond Doss enlists in the US Army to serve as a combat medic. Doss immediately attracts contempt from his squad mates and commanding officers based on his refusal to train with or carry a service weapon due to his religious beliefs. However, Doss quickly earns their respect and gratitude, risking his life saving over six dozen men during the Battle of Okinawa.

Based on the real life of Private First Class Desmond Doss, the first half of Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge plays out like a standard biopic, virtually checking off every item on the standard cinematic-formative-life-event list for Doss in rapid succession. The boot camp section of the film, highlighting the inevitable conflict of ideology between Doss and the military, is compelling enough if slightly stale.

However, the picture truly comes into its own during its second half. Gibson expertly showcases Doss' extraordinary heroics on a truly horrific battlefield. Featuring some of the bloodiest military combat scenes in a mainstream Hollywood film since Saving Private Ryan, the onscreen violence serves to accentuate Doss' bravery in the face of the senseless brutality in Okinawa, at one point returning to the fog of war to assist the wounded that was left behind as his squad retreats.

As Desmond Doss, Andrew Garfield delivers the finest performance of his career to date, portraying Doss as a kind, soft-spoken man with a subtly indelible strength just under the surface until he is called into action. Though he nearly crosses the line into chewing the scenery, character actor Hugo Weaving is excellent as damaged alcoholic veteran father Tom Doss, at first refusing to support Doss' decision to enlist but ultimately vouching for him. In a slightly off-balance performance, Vince Vaughn is equal parts seething military officer and comedian as Doss' Sergeant, constantly berating his men with humorously deadpan criticism, focusing most of his disdain on Doss. Sam Worthington does a serviceable job playing Doss' captain with the standard biopic antagonist arc, fundamentally disagreeing with Doss' beliefs at the start of the film but having his mind completely by the end. Good but mostly unremarkable in a role written to be a stock character, Australian actress Teresa Palmer plays Doss' wife Dorothy Schutte. The film also features Rachel Griffiths as Doss' mother in another mostly thankless stock character role.

Despite its generic first half, Hacksaw Ridge is an excellent war film. The picture tells a truly inspirational story of courage and dedicated conviction. It is carried by a brilliant performance from Andrew Garfield as he proves to be one of the best actors of his generation.


FRAGMENTS
- The film spent fourteen years in development as the real life Desmond Doss did not want filmmakers to inaccurately portray or sensationalize his life experiences and religious beliefs

- The picture does not portray or mention Doss' service in Guam and Leyte prior to Okinawa and condenses Doss' service in Okinawa from about three weeks to a few days


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Hugo Weaving (Johann Schmidt in Captain America: The First Avenger)

- Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Fences

FENCES
2016 | Dir. Denzel Washington | 139 Minutes

"You've got to take the crookeds with the straights."

In 1950's Pittsburgh, former Negro Leagues baseball player Troy Maxson supports his family working as a garbage man. Worn down by years of sacrifice and disappointment and the day-to-day pressures if a working man, Maxson is too disillusioned to support the dreams of his sons, too heartbroken to properly care for his mentally impaired older brother, and too restless to remain faithful to his wife.

Adapted for film by August Wilson from his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1983 play, Fences features incredible performances under the direction of screen legend Denzel Washington. The story of Troy Maxson is tragic, the everyman weathered by a cruel society who is unwilling and, at times, simply unable to change. Maxson is written as a damaged soul whose dreams are broken by hard life experiences, believing his children would suffer the same misfortunes he suffered if they were to pursue their dreams.

The film unfortunately looks and feels too much like a stage play, ultimately delivering a moving but less than cinematic experience. The scope of the film is limited, and while the production design is impressively authentic, much of the narrative is confined to the Maxsons’ back yard. While the picture is faithful to the stage production it is based on, it might just be too faithful to be compelling as a film.

Denzel delivers a world-class performance as Maxson, the supporting players Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, and Saniyya Sidney are all very good, but Viola Davis is truly extraordinary as Maxson's long-suffering wife Rose. Davis' Rose is powerful, nuanced, and altogether heartbreaking, offering a truly sympathetic emotional through-line for the film. Conversely, Mykelti Williamson is distractingly over-the-top as brain-damaged brother Gabe.

Fences is a thought-provoking drama featuring excellent performances from Denzel Washington and, particularly, Viola Davis. However, for a cinematic outing, it is severely limited in terms of scale. Besides garnering more exposure, August Wilson's acclaimed play may not have benefited much in the transition from stage to film.


FRAGMENTS
- Denzel Washington played Troy Maxson on stage during the 2010 Broadway revival of the play

- Stephen Henderson also appears in Manchester by the Sea, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017

Arrival

ARRIVAL
2016 | Dir. Denis Villeneuve | 116 Minutes

"If you could see your whole life from start to finish, would you change things?"

One morning, a dozen alien spacecraft appear hovering over seemingly arbitrary locations across the globe. The US government recruits linguist Louise Banks to establish communication with the extraterrestrial lifeforms onboard a vessel over Montana. Tensions mount as Earth's governments fail to understand the intentions of the alien visitors and disagree over the need to take military action. Dr. Banks races against the clock to learn more about the aliens in order to prevent Earth's leaders from making a potentially devastating mistake.

Adapted by screenwriter Eric Heisserer from Ted Chiang's short story "Story of Your Life," Arrival posits that the human race needs to resolve its own terrestrial communication issues and prejudices before it can reasonably interact with other intelligent lifeforms. The central conflict of the film has less to do with the otherworldly heptapods it features and more to do with the opposing interests of humanity as a whole. The film's narrative center is on Dr. Banks, emotionally-distant at the start of the film but eventually establishing a meaningful human connection of her own, only to be faced with possibly the greatest existential challenge imaginable. While visually impressive, director Denis Villeneuve's vision harkens back to classic science fiction parables such as Robert Wise's The Day The Earth Stood Still and numerous episodes of Rod Sterling's Twilight Zone in that the central focus of the film is on the flaws inherent in humanity and its potential to rise above them.

Amy Adams turns in an amazing performance as Louise Banks, showcasing an incredibly broad but controlled range in an extraordinarily emotionally complex role. Jeremy Renner plays opposite Adams for most of the film's run time as theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly, dialing up his trademark snarky charm. Ever-reliable character actor Forest Whitaker also features as Colonel GT Weber, a good soldier bound to his duty, reluctantly overseeing an operation that involves scientists who refuse to follow orders.

Arrival is an exemplary work of science fiction focusing primarily on the importance of communication. It's also a thoughtful meditation on humanity's response to the unknown on both a macro scale and a profoundly personal level. The film is both cautiously optimistic and deeply heartbreaking.


FRAGMENTS
- Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner previously appeared together in David O. Russell's American Hustle

- The film's composer Jóhann Jóhannsson and director Denis Villeneuve previously collaborated on Prisoners and Sicario

- In English, the message Dr. Banks whispers in Mandarin to General Shang is: "In war, there are no winners, only widows."


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton in Thor, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- Michael Stuhlbarg (Nicodemus West in Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

- Forest Whitaker (Zuri in Black Panther)

The 89th Academy Awards

My ranking of the Best Picture Oscar contenders of 2017:

1. La La Land
2. Arrival
3. Moonlight *
4. Hell or High Water
5. Manchester by the Sea
6. Hidden Figures
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. Lion
9. Fences

*Actual Winner