Rating of
2.5/4
The More You Know...
Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/29/09
The problem with Knowing is that is builds up this great head of steam, even with a dearth of average performances, then makes a sudden shift at the end that almost destroys the everything that has come before it.
There are a lot of things going for this film: the story is both interesting and engaging, the action sequences look great without being too graphic, the characters are pretty well developed, with flaws and strengths. The elements are all here for an amazing film, but there's something missing - that crucial spark that raises it from good to great.
One problem is that the characters, while given a lot to work with, aren't particularly well-acted. Nicolas Cage has never been what I would call a knockout actor. A lot of his work can be summed up as "adequate" and that's about all he presents here. The thing that most of the characters here lack, children included, is that emotional impact. There are moments, yes, that stand out - but overall there is a lot of plain delivery that verges on monotonous at times.
The other aspect that will either intrigue you or just confuse you is the whisper people and their impact on the plot. This ties in directly to the ending, which seems both sudden and thrown together. This is when you will go AHA! or Huh? It didn't work for me, but others may not be so swayed.
All in all, knowing was pretty good but had the potential to be better. I think Alex Proyas is still one of the more interesting directors out there, I just hope for more out of him next time.
