Why alien drama Arrival may win Best Picture
Nominated for eight awards, film’s message for Trump era could help flick pick up Oscar
We’re handicapping the odds on the nine Best Picture contenders for the Feb. 26 Academy Awards. Today: Arrival. Quick pitch: After squidlike aliens from another world arrive on Earth in pill-shaped spacecraft, the U.S. army tasks an expert linguist (Amy Adams) to attempt contact and seek intent. Are these visitors friends or foes? Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker and Michael Stuhlbarg. Directed by: Denis Villeneuve. Nominations: eight Key early kudos: BAFTA Best Sound Award; American Cinema Editors Best Edited Feature Film — Dramatic. Box office (domestic, U.S. dollars): $100 million. Ladbrokes odds: 100/1 Paddy Power: 100/1 Sky Bet: 100/1 Why it could win: It speaks to the need for patience and understanding regarding strangers in our midst, an urgent message for Trumpian times. Why it might not: No sci-fi movie has ever won the award for Best Picture.
The lack of a Best Actress nomination for Adams suggests the Academy views this picture as a technical achievement, not a dramatic one. Howell’s line: Arrival opens minds — but Academy ones are still snapped shut. Full review: on.thestar.com/2entAQe