It is strange that Amy Adams has not quite graduated to the zenith of A-list stars. She gives her all in blockbuster fare (Man of Steel, the Night at the Museum sequel), is a stellar dramatic actor (with five Oscar nominations to date, most recently for American Hustle) and has a sweet girl next door appeal. Now, she is circling the sci-fi drama The Story of Your Life, for Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve.
The Story of Your Life is based on a 1998 short story from Hugo Award-winning author Ted Chiang. It tells the tale of an expert linguist who the military commissions to figure out if an alien vessel that just landed on earth is a threat. When she begins to communicate with the aliens, she experiences flashbacks that reveal the true identity of their mission.
The film’s script comes from Eric Heisserer, who wrote and directed Hours, a little-seen drama from last year starting the late Paul Walker that was praised for its suspenseful qualities. Match his writing with a master filmmaker like Villeneuve – whose movies are all startlingly raw and often suspenseful – and a terrific actor like Amy Adams, and The Story of Your Life becomes must-see cinema. Bold, brainy science fiction often merits more critical acclaim than bustling box office, but Adams’ presence could help to sell a challenging, prophetic tale to a larger audience.
Villeneuve is set to begin shooting The Story of Your Life in late 2014 or early 2015. Although formidable at building tension, Villeneuve is also terrific with actors. He helped Jake Gyllenhaal reach unseen depths in this year’s psychological thriller Enemy, while Lubna Azabal’s performance in the Oscar-nominated Incendies is nothing short of shattering. With a terrific director and a fascinating story, perhaps this could be the role that catapults Ms. Adams to Oscar gold?