“Now that’s a proper introduction.”
We’ve become accustomed to Hollywood films paint aliens in a light that portray them as being aggressively hostile towards humans, like in the case of films like Independence Day or War of the Worlds, or as friendly beings that are intellectually curious, like E.T. What they seem to have lost sight of is that if Earth was to have a real life encounter with beings from another world, it would probably fall between some grey area where the crux of the issue is to find a common ground for communication and understanding.
The upcoming film Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker, explores the grey area through the eyes of expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she races against time for answers in a world on the verge of global war. It’s a breath of fresh air for an industry that has painted evil as being an absolute black and white, especially in a time when understanding among men and unity is much needed. Coming to theaters November 11, 2016.