“I know I’m now Nic Cage but what’d you think?”
What I got though was an almost entirely entertaining sci-fi movie that was one step away from being pretty good while still on the Cage Formula.
I guess since I’ve already mentioned Nicholas Cage, his performance from in Knowing isn’t any different from any other Nic Cage classic minus some of the horrendous haircuts. In Knowing he plays an astrophysicist hell bent on figuring out the meaning a paper of seemingly random numbers has to do with his kid. He hits all the right notes acting concerned, brave, curious and caring when needed. There are moments when his talent comes through but for the most part, he doesn’t do anything that adds to the film but more importantly, he doesn’t take away from it either. Knowing suffers from some albaism in it’s casting of Chandler Canterbury as Cage’s son but he’s a proficient child actor. I enjoyed the fact that he wasn’t too cute nor was he too annoying in his portrayal of earnest innocence. Though the movie focuses on Cage, the kid holds his own against the superstar and I feel like almost steals some of the more emotional scenes from him.
Rose Byrne and Lara Robinson are cast female counterparts to the Cage/Chandler experience and both do well considering there feels like there is less for them to do. Rose is given a little more than Robinson to do as her character’s state of mind unravels through the course of the movie. She really manages to nail the look of panic. You’d think it’d be easy to act out something like “panic” or “fear” but believe me, it’s hard. Robinson is serviceable if not a little useless and sometimes just kind of there.
The story itself is actually quite original (well by Nic Cage standards) and for two-thirds is quite gripping. I’m not sure what it is about the last third of the movie that bothers me but the ending falls flat compared with it’s build up. Even though the movie is sci-fi the twist ending somehow left me wanting for more and felt a little left field. Over all though, the story is quite enjoyable and worth the ride. More impressive though is the way the story is told (framing) and the pacing of the movie. I could have seen this movie crushed under it’s CG or useless emotionality but director Alex Proyas does a good job balancing the blockbuster aspects of the time film with it’s quieter moments. The effects in the film are amazing and quite seamless (well natural disaster wise). There is also manages a slick one shot involving a crash plane and people burning that I have no idea how they did it but it’s amazing. It’s pretty easy to say that the production value is high and mixed with Proyas storytelling quite effective.
Knowing is not the movie I thought it was going to be. Maybe it’s because I lowered my expectations to Nic Cage standards but I like to think that it’s just a solid example of good movie making.
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