•
Knowing (2009) -- Refreshing concept, if intermittently dramatic, 7/10.
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• Jogwheel Productions ©
2012 •
~~ Review
Script ~~
This sci-fi disaster film was released in March of 2009 where it impressively earned back over three times its $50 million dollar budget.
Beginning as an intriguing mystery with a tinge of horror to it,
Direct Alex Proyas shares the fascinating story of man who comes into possession of a list of dates; all prophesizing major disasters, and eventually, the end of all life itself.
Nicolas Cage stars as a widowed astrophysics professor at
MIT, and single father: who discovers this mysterious disaster calendar after his son retrieves it via a 50-year-old time capsule at his elementary school. The preliminary disasters that build up the movie'
s brazen conclusion are grippingly shot, albeit with some less-than-stellar visual effects: a plane crash sequence near a highway traffic accident is convincingly shot in a single, long take, with
Cage running from one burning victim to the next, attempting to save lives from a disaster he knew would happen.
Later, a
New York subway car becomes derailed, killing dozens, in a furious and exciting sequence that plays out like the gratuitous opening to a "
Final Destination" picture.
Marco Beltrami's haunting score helps nerves on edge, but this 121 minute film is hardly on the same scale as other disaster pictures, keeping this focused on Cage's family and friends: rarely widening out to show the larger portrait of a doomed mankind. The overall story suffers as a result, but the trade-off results in a deeper emotional impact, vis a vis, the central characters. As the mature, smart-alec son of Cage,
Chandler Canterbury does a terrific job with a complicated role
... going toe to toe with
Academy Award winning adult counterpart, and delivering some of the creepier moments in the script that can feel particularly unnerving.
Rose Byrne,
Lara Robinson, and
Ben Mendelsohn round out the small cast, but I can't say I was particularly impressed with their unmemorable performances. Cage is notorious for his unique project-choices, and hammy acting: but fortunately, both serve him well here: this is an extremely original and engaging movie - where his scenery-chewing line delivery feels right at home. With plot holes abound, and numerous story threads left largely unanswered, the ending to this picture will surprise many, frustrate others, and delight the rest.
Built on the premise of a list of arbitrarily selected numbers, the greater message here reflects the title: and whether or not we have a responsibility to save lives we know to be in danger. A reflection on the human condition in the final hours of existence, the final scenes of this movie are poignant, and relatable. Bouncing from disaster-epic to horror mystery, back to a sci-fi think-piece, this movie rarely finds sturdy footing, resulting in an entertaining, and enjoyable experience, but ultimately, the scattershot deliver is unevenly paced.
Worth re-watching only after you've forgotten the uniquely different final act, "Knowing", "Refreshing concept, if intermittently dramatic."
~
- published: 26 Dec 2012
- views: 20167