27-11-2016, 20:33
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#4698
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Remoaner
Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 32,227
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Re: Rate the last movie you saw
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Originally Posted by Anonymouse
Arrival, just now - I thought I'd treat myself on my 51st.
An intriguing film; I agree with the reviewers who said it's the best SF movie in ages. That is, if we use SF's proper definition which has nothing to do with space opera (though I do love Star Wars as well - roll on Episode VIII and Rogue One!). The only other SF writer I can think of who makes the point that language both reflects and defines viewpoint is Diane Duane, in her Star Trek novels. In The Wounded Sky, for example, there's a description of Uhura's struggle with a new language and the mindset that comes with it - and the object is not to win but to lose the fight. To really understand a language, you need to think in the language, not simply run through the words in your mind and translate them - that is not understanding.
OOPS. I forgot Samuel Delaney's Babel-17, which (I've just discovered on Wikipedia) influenced Ted Chiang in writing "Story Of Your Life", on which Arrival is based. Babel-17's a difficult read.
All in all, a really good SF film with a twist I really did not see coming (actually there is at least one tiny clue which appears twice, but don't blink or you'll miss it - I saw it but didn't understand it until the twist was revealed). I'd say 9.7/10 and happy birthday to me!
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Arrival was excellent. Really interesting ideas.
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