Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

 

Steven Spielberg is often at his most whimsical when it comes to stories with aliens involved. This one is no different. That doesn't mean it's bad by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, this one is pretty darn good for that warm, fuzzy feeling, should you be in dire need of it. 

Sure, our main character isn't overly likable thanks to some of the stuff he does, but Richard Dreyfus manages to pull it off flawlessly anyway, because he's just a great actor. 

In essence, there are two stories told simultaneously. Strange events happen across the globe and when a research team suddenly finds airplanes and ships that have gone missing for years, the plot thickens. Especially as these vehicles are found in the most unlikely locations, such as a missing ship in the middle of the Gobi Desert. 

In the US, strange power outages plague the land and when electrician Roy Neary is sent out to try and fix one of these, he comes into contact with a UFO. His family doesn't believe him, and neither do most people, but for Roy, things quickly go from strange to worse as he is getting visions of a place and he can't quite put his finger on it. Very rapidly, this becomes an obsession and it splits his family apart as they can't cope with his mania.

See what I mean with him being a bit of a dick? He really doesn't care about his family, just finding the place that is floating in his head. 

Eventually, it turns out that the place is Devil's Tower, Wyoming and the research team is already there as they are planning for a close encounter with the aliens. But the entire area is cleared with some story about a toxic spill. Yet Roy and a woman named Jillian head there, not only because their pull to the place is so strong, but also because Jillian's little boy has been taken by the aliens. 

It all culminates in a wondrous meeting, where in the end Roy is taken along for a ride and probably never to return, but it's all good, as he chooses this for himself. 

See? It's whimsical and fuzzy. And it's a nice change of pace where neither the aliens nor the humans want to destroy the other, just be friends. You don't get that very often and Spielberg is probably one of the few people who could have pulled it off without being too sappy. 

The actors are fine, but for some reason, the research team with François Truffaut and Bob Balaban always felt more appealing than Roy, because Roy is a bit of a douche when you really think about it. Just dropping everything in his life because of this sudden obsession and don't caring about his family anymore? It's a bit sudden and harsh and maybe could have done with a little more background, but this is what we got. To be fair: it doesn't really matter in the long run. Jillian is also a much more sympathetic character.

The spaceships are wonderful, though. Very cool displays of brightly coloured lights and various shapes, and the best part is that all communication happens through music. Those five notes that John Williams came up with, are so recognizable and perfect, it all just clicks. 

However, when we finally get to see the actual aliens, it's a bit of a letdown. One looks like a poorly animated puppet (which it is), kids with expressionless masks that are the stuff of nightmares (maybe they should have kept them more at a distance, because when you see the leotards up close, it's horrendous) and the final alien is also a rather stiff animatronic. I get that you couldn't do everything back in the day, but considering how gorgeous the clouds and ships look, the actual creatures feel out of place. 

Also: the part where Gillian's little boy goes away with the aliens and her house feels haunted, is bloody creepy. It really scared the heebiejeebies out of me as a child, so be warned. No kidding: this could have just as easily come out of a horrorfilm like 'Poltergeist'. 

In the end, 'Close Encounters' is a nice film that you definitely need to see if you want something soothing for the soul. It's Spielberg at his most visual, as the story is fairly thin. This just makes you feel good and sometimes, that's all we need.