Denis is so good at what he does. He has a Nolan-like ability to make a complex plot palatable. Unlike Nolan, his idea of intelligence doesn’t seem like the smarmy British boy school kind, but the sort that wants to invite you in and share something interesting.
And while he’s great at grounding things in reality, Denis also understands the dream like nature of films and goes for it. His creature design, his visual design, and sometimes even his editing — he understands the transportive nature of the medium and allows it to hypnotize us.
His sound design is also the best in the business. Arrival is one of the best sounding movies I’ve heard in my home theatre.
I was reminded of Close Encounters on this viewing and suddenly realized that Denis feels to me like Spielberg without the sentimentality.
Not a fan of Arrival’s cinematography. Uninspired and bland camerawork with few exceptions.
But immensely enjoyable.