ARRIVAL

(2016) Twelve oblong disks, appearing to stand on end, have appeared over various cites of the world.  The aliens have arrived, but as time goes on there seems to be no move on their part to contact us.  Are they safe, or preparing to annihilate us?  As paranoia sweeps the world, many countries starting to develop the "let's get them before they get us" attitude, top linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is hand-picked as part of an elite team sent to where the spacecraft hovers a site in Wyoming, determined to communicate with them.  As Banks, fellow scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), and their team try to develop/figure out what turns out to definitely be alien speech patterns (and what they're tying to tell us), the world teeters on the brink of war as itchy trigger fingers prepare to strike the first punch.  Arrival is a well-made, well-cast film with an intriguing and philosophical heart, but for me it was too long, too heady, and too intellectualized to arouse enough passion in me for the story or characters - or to care that much about what is supposed to be the otherwise OMG! ending.  (rated PG-13) 6/10 stars