Knowing

2009

R4 DVD and Blu-ray

Director Alex Proyas

Icon Entertainment

Fifty years ago a new school opened. As part of its celebrations the young students were asked to draw a picture of what they thought the world would be like in fifty years. Their drawings were placed in a time capsule to be opened fifty years later. Lucinda, withdrawn and possibly somewhat autistic, filled her sheet of paper with strings of numbers.

We move forward to the present day and the time capsule is opened. Astrophysics Professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) has a son, Caleb, who attends the school. Each child gets to open an envelope with one of the drawings inside. Caleb opens Lucinda’s envelope. At first they can’t make any sense of the numbers but a chance event makes Koestler aware that the numbers are not only prophetic, but a warning. They coincide with particular happenings in history and another one of them is due to happen very soon.

It is hard to describe the plot any further without giving too much away, but Koestler’s life descends from the quiet academic life he has known to increasing chaos. Just what is at the end of the strings of Lucinda’s numbers? Who are the mysterious “whispering people” that his son can hear but he cannot? Why are they watching his son? Can he persuade the authorities to listen to what sounds like his mad theory, and can they do anything about it anyway? This conflict is the heart of the film. Is our life predetermined as a result of the conditions in which we live, or is it completely random?

“I think ....shit just happens”

Nicolas Cage has the sort of on-screen personality that suits his part perfectly. I can’t help recalling his depiction of the mild mannered historian in National Treasure who, when called on, turned into a hero to protect what he passionately believed in. I admit I am a fan of Nicolas Cage and in this film he doesn’t let me down. Chandler Canterbury (Caleb) is quite a skilled young actor who supports the story well. He is especially human when he misses his dead mother. In spite of the human element the film never gets tacky and overly sentimental. One thing I really liked – there is a formula in U.S. films at present that seems to require a wisecracking sidekick to every serious lead character. The character is often more an annoyance than a part of the plot. There is such a character but his role is played more like a good friend than a sidekick, and it works well rather than trivialises the film.

Unlike the characters, the plot is sometimes derivative and predictable. The major set scenes are graphic and really well done, but you feel that you have seen all this before. The film is heavy on CGI. Some scenes I thought were just a little artificial-looking, but in hindsight I can’t see how they could have been done any other way. The review copy was not Blu-Ray, which can highlight some CGI defects in some films.

This minor criticism aside, the film is a good suspense piece. It’s good to see major actors moving into smaller and even independent films. It works both ways. It can improve the quality of the film, and it can give the actors something better to work with than the usual Hollywood mush. It works well in this film.

Extras on the Australian edition are unknown at this time but will probably include the usual director’s commentary, subtitles and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

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This review will appear in Volume 2 No.4 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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