Update: Wtf she got snubbed. Especially pissed because the performance actually grew on me ALOT since I typed this post. Happy for Isabelle Huppert, but really?
As of the date of this post, Amy Adams has been nominated for a Golden Globe, SAG and Bafta for her performance as Dr. Louise Banks in the science-fiction drama, Arrival. At this rate, it is most likely that she is going to be receiving her 6th Oscar nomination as well.
What is it about Amy Adams that makes me so drawn to her? I have heard 2 entirely opposing views about her acting that I can totally understand. On one hand, there’s the camp that finds her passable but bland in most of her roles, while on the other hand, which I’m leaning more towards, there is the camp that thinks of her as a highly capable and versatile actress. Now, I love performers who are technically brilliant, like Meryl Streep, Geraldine Page, Cate Blanchett etc. However, I am also equally in awe of actresses who act from their hearts, even if they’re technically not the best – think Diane Keaton, Emma Stone, and of course, Amy Adams. The thing about Adams is that she lives her characters not through tics and mannerisms, but through grace and soul. When I think of an Amy Adams performance, I don’t think of a defining “Oscar” scene, but the performance as a whole and her entire process as that character. We get a glimpse of that with Sister James in Doubt, but in Arrival, she manages to shine through that in a leading role.
Arrival is a very good drama that I liked a lot, but did not love. I have to say that its score is incredible and plays a huge part in creating the emotions of the story. The supporting casts are all good, like the always reliable Jeremy Renner, although I did find his character a bit pointless. Personally, I love the messages and themes of Arrival more than its actual story. I have always been fascinated with the concepts of destiny and choice, and I think they are well-explored here. The slow pace didn’t bother me at all – in fact I actually thought it was necessary to build up the story and give its leading lady a good opportunity to shine. I am just a little bit iffy on the reason why the aliens came down, and I probably have to re-watch the film to finalise my thoughts on that.
When I first watched Arrival, I instantly gave Amy Adams a 3.5/5 for her performance. My thoughts were that she was good but nothing special here. However, as I got to mull over her performance, I realised how brilliantly tricky she is here (and in most of her performances). Adams’ role as Dr. Louise Banks is almost symbolic in nature: she symbolises motherhood, intelligence, peace and love. I would think that it is hard to find a particular Oscar clip for this performance as it really needs to be appreciated as a whole. A good comparison for me would be Frances Mcdormand’s brilliant turn in Fargo, where the brilliance isn’t in a breakdown scene or a crying scene, but in how the performer lived the characters through their souls.
There are so many sides to Dr. Louise Banks that Amy brilliantly embodies. I used the word “embody” instead of “portray”, because for me, I felt these sides of the character more than I saw them. It is hard for me to identify each side through a particular scene because Adams plays them so naturally, and yet I could easily describe Louise Banks as an intelligent, warm, strong and loving soul. Even through the brief opening sequence, she manages to capture the warmth and love of a mother brilliantly. Her delicate interactions with the aliens are also surprisingly captivating to watch, and it’s easy to see why they would trust her. The darkness faced by the character isn’t played in a gut-wrenching manner, but with a beautifully melancholic style that draws you in.
I am not going to spoil the twist behind the story, but Amy plays it in a way that makes it super believable despite my own issues with it. And I think that’s why her performance works wonders here – it’s so tricky, yet never manipulative.
All in all, wonderful would be the word to describe Amy Adams’ performance as Dr. Louise Banks. It is an uplifting, sorrowful, beautiful and moving process that needs to be appreciated in its entirety. 4.5/5
p.s. I was just reading about Amy Adams acting technique that she learned from her teacher, Warner Loughlin. Holy shit, I would love to take acting classes with Loughlin, her style sounds so much better than the other techniques out there.
Filmfreak! 
I’d certainly nominate her, though her snub didn’t really bug me – I suppose that overall, I could live without her, and the recent slew of nominations has worn me out much in the same vein that I think many feel towards Streep. So kind of conflicting feelings, my liking her yet not bothered by her omission, though I guess that just means I’m firmly of the first camp you note.