Movie: “Knowing”
Rating: Rated PG-13 for disturbing images and brief strong language.
Release: March 20
Running Time: 2 hrs 1 min
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne… IMDB listing
Verdict:
Knowing is a larger than life film that ultimately falls flat in its ending. It’s similar in atmosphere and quality to both the 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies and the 2004 film The Forgotten, but it fails to achieve the eerie quality of the former or to pack the punch of the later. While Knowing is packed with thrilling high-end special effects that were made for the big screen, its failure to deliver thrills at the climax of its slowly ratcheted suspense and its cliche ending make this film one that most people will enjoy far better on a late night at home than on the big screen.
Synopsis:
Recently-widowed MIT astrophysicist John Koestler believes in a deterministic universe in which “shit happens.” When his son, Caleb, is given a mysterious sheet of scribblings out of a fifty-year old time capsule, however, he’s soon caught up in a series of events that leads him to believe otherwise.
The letter, unlike other sunny crayon pictures held by the capsule, is a series of seemingly meaningless numbers. Caleb, intrigued by the letter, brings it home, where, in the grip of a late night epiphany, he begins to suspect that the letter may hide a deeper meaning. His revelation is sparked by recognition of the date of the September 11th attacks on the Twin Towers pairs with the exact number of casualties.
Growing increasingly obsessed with the enigmatic letter, Koestler probes deeper into its meaning, quickly discovering its connection to countless disasters through recent history. As he races to prove the authenticity of the letter and determine whether the disasters it predicts are preventable, tensions mount, and he comes to fear that the fate of the world may be inevitable.
Review:
Knowing is a classic Hollywood case of “close but not quite.” It features a really excellent cast that delivers believable performances all around, which is surprising in a film that introduces two new child actors to the big screen. It’s sensational special effects rival any Hollywood blockbuster. It’s atmosphere is dark. It’s underlying premise of the film is compelling. Unfortunately, it’s story just doesn’t pack that much punch. There’s no single moment in the film where the audience is left on the edge of their seats. There’s never a shock so sudden that the audience lets out a start or jumps in surprise, and far too many of the twists that the film’s suspenseful plot builds to are foreseeable industry standards.
The film’s story is fairly consistent with the formula that audiences have come to expect from Nicholas Cage movies. They all start with a great concept, pace through a slow start with a bit of overly-intense acting on Cage’s part, get carried along by a few mult-million dollar super-effects, cram in as much action as possible in the third act (after the plot has unfolded), and leave the audience walking out of the theater feeling as if what they’ve seen is almost a great movie.
In this instance, the moment in which the film goes from great to vaguely dissatisfying is easy to pinpoint. It occurs roughly half-way through the film when a shadowy group of boogeymen first make their appearance, blurring the fine line between science fiction and horror. The way in which the often-seen plot device is executed is trite and, even in retrospect, seems to have contribute nothing to film’s story. Worse, the way in which the appearance of the boogeymen is largely ignored by the character as soon as they’ve walked off screen is jarring, breaking the film’s stream of consciousness as audiences are wonder what the hell just happened.
One pleasant surprise that makes this film stand out from all prior Cage films, however, is the amazing atmosphere imparted by Dark City director Alex Proyas. Proyas imparts a dark brooding to every frame of this film, right up to its surreal climax. While it’s not shot in the film noir style of Dark City, its distinctively dark style compliments the stunning special effects to make this film a distinct treat for the eyes.
In conclusion, Knowing earns a place on my own personal list of must-see science fiction films, but I would warn people off dropping the coin necessary to see it on the big screen.
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