Arrival

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Amy Adams? She's the current leader in the clubhouse in the chase for "current best American actress," and this movie really shows off her talent to the maximum degree. Adams really owns this thing; she commands virtually every scene of the film--a rarity for a woman on the silver screen--and this work is substantially better than it might otherwise be because of it. The storytelling has some problems: there's trickeration going on with the timeline that doesn't seem to justify itself, and the reveal at the end is pretty obvious after a certain point. On the other hand, the presentation is quite stylish, and is commendable for showing a creative approach to what is, at this point, almost a sci-fi cliche (the muddle of first contact). But, ultimately, this is the lead's show, and Adams makes what might have been an otherwise run-of-the-mill aliens flick into something special.