So far, nothing unusual for this kind of film. But when the theoretical physicist suggests starting with binary code, the linguist's reply—"Let's try introducing ourselves before we start throwing math at them"—offers a taste of what is to come.
The screenplay for Arrival, adapted from Ted Chiang's short story Story of Your Life (La Tour de Babylone, Folio, 2010), raises profound questions about language and communication. It even goes so far as to dissect the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, which holds that a language shapes the way its speakers think. The director, who was once torn between filmmaking and a scientific career, regrets that the already fascinating scenes devoted to analyzing the extraterrestrial language could not be explored in greater depth.
The film avoids caricaturing either the military—Forest Whitaker is excellent—or the scientists. With its unexpected ending, very restrained effects, superb visuals and its carefully crafted soundtrack, it is worth seeing.
