1. The spaceships. As soon as I caught my first glimpse of one of them in the trailer, I knew I wanted to see this movie. For one thing, they were so massive . . . and you immediately knew that in order to really feel that massiveness, you'd need to see it on the big screen. For another thing, they were so alien. Apropos, no?
2. The sound. Sounds, actually. The sounds that the aliens made--like whales singing with Auto-Tune. Like the alien ships, the alien language was massive. And again, in the way that you need the big screen / big speakers to fully get. Another sound: actually the lack of it. There were quite a few quiet moments in the movie, wherein there was either no sound at all or just some very faint background noises. It really made those moments intimate and profoundly moving. The music was most excellent, too. And there was one scene wherein a character's voice was muffled just enough to make it sound a little flat, which was perfect for that moment. The audio guys and gals on this movie deserve an award, for sure.
3. The story wasn't stupid. Once I got the fev-ah to see this movie I found out that it was based on "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, so I immediately sought out and read (and loved) that story (and Ted, too . . . I've now read all of his published stories--which is only 15 at this point, so not as impressive as it sounds). As soon as I finished reading it I thought, "There is no way that they're going to end the movie that way. The audiences would riot." But you know what? They pretty much ended the movie that way. Gussied it up a little bit, but they mos def did not Hollywood end it. And that lack of stupidity was apparent throughout the movie.
4. It wasn't obvious either. I saw it a second time just an hour after my first viewing, and it was even better . . . because the first time you watch it, there's no way to understand what you are seeing at several points. Can't say more than that without spoilering it, but suffice it to say that you literally do not understand what you are seeing in the scenes where mother and child are interacting. Very cool. And very rewarding to watch a second time. Kind of like The Prestige, another of my favorite movies which is neither obvious nor stupid, and which rewards you for subsequent viewings.
5. Amy Adams was superb. This is the first time I've seen her in a role that didn't reduce her to her sexuality, and even though I do think she is an amazingly sexy beast, it was good to see her appreciated for her acting skill this time around. A nuanced performance.
6. Speaking of nuanced performances, Jeremy Renner . . . who is, for once, not the tough guy . . . was also splendid, and often communicated his thoughts and feelings in very subtle ways. I've always liked him, but this was, as with Amy Adams, a chance to appreciate his acting ability.
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