Arrival (2016) Science Fiction for the Space Between your Ears.

[bshorey]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but based on rave reviews I did read the book it came from. The book is a collection of short stories, almost all were excellent and felt very fresh. Arrival was very good, but there were 2-3 others in the book that I think would make for better movies.

I've heard that the movie ending was different from what was in the book. While the concepts in the book were excellent, I kind of figured that in movie form they might actually benefit a little bit from some Hollywood spicing up.

bs

 

[RobRoy]

I actually like Emily Blunt. She was quite good in The Adjustment Bureau & Looper but I agree, not much going on at all in Sicario. The only actor that stood out was Josh Brolin playing generic agency a-hole. So you end up full circle back at the director. Visuals I'll give him but talent management I won't.

To your second point, even worse when you go to a theater based on the hype (peer or push advertising based) only to slowly discover you've been had.

Yep. It's gotta be the director. There is a phrase in business: There are not poor employees, so much as poorly managed employees.

When a director keeps making stinkers with boring acting coming from normally good actors, the director is the problem.