Review: Knowing

Knowing had all the potential of a downright bad film. We had Nicholas Cage (right), some outdated CG sequences from the trailer and an apocalyptic message laid out in cryptic numerical clues (Anyone remember a few years back when Jim Carrey bombed with something or other?). I entered the cinema with admittedly low expectations. Sitting down and viewing the first 20 minutes, it made for a compelling watch. Then again, Cage's films tend to hold strong for the first act. I awaited with unbridled glee for the moment when the film would veer into sheer ridiculousness and cheese, looking forward to coming home and writing a scathing review berating the director, producers, actors and anyone who would have paid their hard-earned cash on what I was sure would be the worst film of 2009.

I left the cinema disappointed, not for the film itself, but because I was at a loss as to how I was going to maul such a competent, well-paced and intriguing Sci-Fi thriller. Knowing could very well be the worst film of 2009, but only if you don’t accept the film for what it is from the start. Sure, there are several points in the film at which you think the film couldn’t get any more unbelievable or silly, then a moose, on fire, jumps into Nic Cage’s house (Yes, really). However, slaying the film for such things means you reject the concept of a film from the off. Don’t like the fantastical ending? Don’t pay to see a film where 50 years of earth’s history are accurately predicted by an elementary (primary) school child receiving psychic whispered instructions by silent men who wear lots of dark and hang out in the woods a lot.

Knowing combines several cliched film ideologies and manages to weave it into something coherent and reverent, although there is an adequate amount of mediocrity you come to expect from a Nic Cage film. Rose Byrne, cast as the female lead fares better as the daughter of the woman who’s predictions started it all. But what can you expect from an actress with 2 Danny Boyle films under her belt (28 Weeks Later and Sunshine, ***** and **** respectively)? There are plenty of reasons to dislike or even loathe this film, but why not give it a go if you’re into that kind of thing?If it doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, there’s a few other reviews around of stuff that’s out right now. Spring is a good time for films, get out there!

Rating: ***
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