Title: Knowing
Rated: M
Genre: Drama
Main cast: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Chandler Canterbury, Adrienne Pickering
Director: Alex Proyas
According to learned colleagues in my office, they believe American actress Ava Gardner never said that if you were going to make a movie about the end of the world, then Melbourne was the perfect place to make it.
Apparently the quote was contained in a story that was a spoof at the time on the making of the 1959 film On The Beach in Melbourne which was about the end of the world. Cheekily a “Sydney-based” sub editor changed the comment to read as a direct quote.
History repeats itself, to some extent, in the movie Knowing, starring Nicholas Cage, which was partly shot in Melbourne. It too is about the end of the earth but so far no one has been critical of dear Melbourne this time around.
It is quite a good side game, when the film’s story labours, to point out the local landmarks. I got quite a few – good luck with your spotting!
While not captivating for its entirety, the film’s screenplay, by Stiles White and Juliet Snowden, is reasonably gripping - bordering on the horror side of thriller only to end up in the sci-fi world as a 2009 version of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Along the way it borrows from the disaster movie genre and then heads in the direction of spiritual revelation – which is a bit unsettling as it is Cage who is espousing the existence of God and heaven.
The film was shot digitally which helps the special effects team achieve some stunning work – especially in the destruction of New York City and the annihilation of the globe as seen from space.
Director Alex Proyas liberally sprinkles the movie with heart-beating suspense, using all the tricks in the book – pounding music, old haunted looking houses, remote wooded locations and fog – which is an excellent medium to scare you half out of your wits once you introduce car headlights into the mixture.
Unfortunately Cage’s movie career seems permanently pointed toward this genre. While reasonable at it, he just can’t get away from the image of curling his forefinger and biting on it with an “oh my god” expression on his face.
Child actor Chandler Canterbury has the most challenging role as Cage’s on screen son and puts in the best performance. Aussie Ben Mendelsohn gets a part but his character is too wooden to get much out of it.
Knowing is worth a go but it won’t be joining the sci-fi greats nor horror flicks for that matter.
- Robert Gibson
- 2 ½ stars out of 5
